NOTES

ON

THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST

----------

It is scarce possible for any that either love or fear God not

to feel their hearts extremely affected in seriously reading

either the beginning or the latter part of the Revelation.

These, it is evident, we cannot consider too much; but the

intermediate parts I did not study at all for many years; as

utterly despairing of understanding them, after the fruitless

attempts of so many wise and good men: and perhaps I should

have lived and died in this sentiment, had I not seen the

works of the great Bengelius. But these revived my hopes of

understanding even the prophecies of this book; at least many of

them in some good degree: for perhaps some will not be opened

but in eternity. Let us, however, bless God for the measure of

light we may enjoy, and improve it to his glory.

The following notes are mostly those of that excellent man;

a few of which are taken from his Gnornon Novi Testamenti,

but far more from his Ekklarte Offenbarung, which is a full

and regular comment on the Revelation. Every part of this I do

not undertake to defend. But none should condemn him without

reading his proofs at large. It did not suit my design to insert

these: they are above the capacity of ordinary readers. Nor had

I room to insert the entire translation of a book which contains

near twelve hundred pages.

All I can do is, partly to translate, partly abridge, the most

necessary of his observations; allowing myself the liberty to

alter some of them, and to add a few notes where he is not full.

His text, it may be observed, I have taken almost throughout,

which I apprehend he has abundantly defended both in the Gnomon

itself, and in his Apparatus and Crisis in Apocalypsin.

Yet I by no means pretend to understand or explain all that is

contained in this mysterious book. I only offer what help I

can to the serious inquirer, and shall rejoice if any be moved

thereby more carefully to read and more deeply to consider the

words of this prophecy. Blessed is he that does this with a

single eye. His labour shall not be in vain.

Verse 1. The Revelation-Properly so called; for things covered

before are here revealed, or unveiled. No prophecy in the Old

Testament has this title; it was reserved for this alone in the

New. It is, as it were, a manifesto, wherein the Heir of all

things declares that all power is given him in heaven and

earth, and that he will in the end gloriously exercise that

power, maugre all the opposition of all his enemies. Of Jesus

Christ-Not of "John the Divine," a title added in latter ages.

Certain it is, that appellation, the Divine, was not brought

into the church, much less was it affixed to John the apostle,

till long after the apostolic age. It was St. John, indeed,

who wrote this book, but the author of it is Jesus Christ.

Which God gave unto him-According to his holy, glorified

humanity, as the great Prophet of the church. God gave the

Revelation to Jesus Christ; Jesus Christ made it known to his

servants. To show-This word recurs,

# Rev 22:6; and in many places the parts of this book refer

to each other. Indeed the whole structure of it breathes the

art of God, comprising, in the most finished compendium, things

to come, many, various; near, intermediate, remote; the greatest,

the least; terrible, comfortable; old, new; long, short; and

these interwoven together, opposite, composite; relative to each

other at a small, at a great, distance; and therefore sometimes,

as it were, disappearing, broken off, suspended, and afterwards

unexpectedly and most seasonably appearing again. In all its

parts it has an admirable variety, with the most exact harmony,

beautifully illustrated by those very digressions which seem

to interrupt it. In this manner does it display the manifold

wisdom of God shining in the economy of the church through so

many ages. His servants-Much is comprehended in this

appellation. It is a great thing to be a servant of Jesus

Christ. This book is dedicated particularly to the servants of

Christ in the seven churches in Asia; but not exclusive of all

his other servants, in all nations and ages. It is one single

revelation, and yet sufficient for them all, from the time it

was written to the end of the world. Serve thou the Lord Jesus

Christ in truth: so shalt thou learn his secret in this book;

yea, and thou shalt feel in thy heart whether this book be

divine, or not. The things which must shortly come to pass-The

things contained in this prophecy did begin to be accomplished

shortly after it was given; and the whole might be said to come

to pass shortly, in the same sense as St. Peter says, "The end

of all things is at hand;" and our Lord himself, "Behold, I

come quickly." There is in this book a rich treasure of all

the doctrines pertaining to faith and holiness. But these are

also delivered in other parts of holy writ; so that the

Revelation need not to have been given for the sake of these.

The peculiar design of this is, to show the things which must

come to pass. And this we are especially to have before our

eyes whenever we read or hear it.

It is said afterward, "Write what thou seest;" and again, "Write

what thou hast seen, and what is, and what shall be hereafter;"

but here, where the scope of the hook is shown, it is only said,

the things which must come to pass. Accordingly, the showing

things to come, is the great point in view throughout the whole.

And St. John writes what he has seen, and what is, only as it has

an influence on, or gives light to, what shall be. And he-Jesus

Christ. Sent and signified them-Showed them by signs or

emblems; so the Greek word properly means. By his angel

-Peculiarly called, in the sequel, "the angel of God," and

particularly mentioned, # Rev 17:1; 21:9; 22:6,16.

To his servant John-A title given to no other single person

throughout the book.

Verse 2. Who hath testified-In the following book. The word of

God-Given directly by God. And the testimony of Jesus-Which he

hath left us, as the faithful and true witness. Whatsoever

things he saw-In such a manner as was a full confirmation of the

divine original of this book.

Verse 3. Happy is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words

of this prophecy-Some have miserably handled this book. Hence

others are afraid to touch it; and, while they desire to know

all things else, reject only the knowledge of those which God

hath shown. They inquire after anything rather than this; as if

it were written, "Happy is he that doth not read this prophecy."

Nay, but happy is he that readeth, and they that hear, and keep

the words thereof-Especially at this time, when so considerable

a part of them is on the point of being fulfilled.

Nor are helps wanting whereby any sincere and diligent inquirer

may understand what he reads therein. The book itself is written

in the most accurate manner possible. It distinguishes the

several things whereof it treats by seven epistles, seven seals,

seven trumpets, seven phials; each of which sevens is divided

into four and three. Many things the book itself explains; as

the seven stars; the seven candlesticks; the lamb, his seven

horns and seven eyes; the incense; the dragon; the heads and

horns of the beasts; the fine linen; the testimony of Jesus:

and much light arises from comparing it with the ancient

prophecies, and the predictions in the other books of the New

Testament.

In this book our Lord has comprised what was wanting in those

prophecies touching the time which followed his ascension and

the end of the Jewish polity. Accordingly, it reaches from the

old Jerusalem to the new, reducing all things into one sum, in

the exactest order, and with a near resemblance to the ancient

prophets. The introduction and conclusion agree with Daniel;

the description of the man child, and the promises to Sion, with

Isaiah; the judgment of Babylon, with Jeremiah; again, the

determination of times, with Daniel; the architecture of the holy

city, with Ezekiel; the emblems of the horses, candlesticks, &c.,

with Zechariah. Many things largely described by the prophets

are here summarily repeated; and frequently in the same words.

To them we may then usefully have recourse. Yet the Revelation

suffices for the explaining itself, even if we do not yet

understand those prophecies; yea, it casts much light upon them.

Frequently, likewise, where there is a resemblance between them,

there is a difference also; the Revelation, as it were, taking

a stock from one of the old prophets, and inserting a new graft

into it. Thus Zechariah speaks of two olive trees; and so does

St. John; but with a different meaning. Daniel has a beast with

ten horns; so has St. John; but not with quite the same

signification. And here the difference of words, emblems,

things, times, ought studiously to be observed.

Our Lord foretold many things before his passion; but not all

things; for it was not yet seasonable. Many things, likewise,

his Spirit foretold in the writings of the apostles, so far

as the necessities of those times required: now he comprises

them all in one short book; therein presupposing all the other

prophecies, and at the same time explaining, continuing, and

perfecting them in one thread. It is right therefore to compare

them; but not to measure the fulness of these by the scantiness

of those preceding.

Christ, when on earth, foretold what would come to pass in a

short time; adding a brief description of the last things. Here

he foretells the intermediate things; so that both put together

constitute one complete chain of prophecy. This book is

therefore not only the sum and the key of all the prophecies

which preceded, but likewise a supplement to all; the seals being

closed before. Of consequence, it contains many particulars not

revealed in any other part of scripture. They have therefore

little gratitude to God for such a revelation, reserved for the

exaltation of Christ, who boldly reject whatever they find here

which was not revealed, or not so clearly, in other parts of

scripture. He that readeth and they that hear-St. John probably

sent this book by a single person into Asia, who read it in the

churches, while many heard. But this, likewise, in a secondary

sense, refers to all that shall duly read or hear it in all ages.

The words of this prophecy-It is a revelation with regard to

Christ who gives it; a prophecy, with regard to John who delivers

it to the churches. And keep the things which are written

therein-In such a manner as the nature of them requires;

namely, with repentance, faith, patience, prayer, obedience,

watchfulness, constancy. It behoves every Christian, at all

opportunities, to read what is written in the oracles of God;

and to read this precious book in particular, frequently,

reverently, and attentively. For the time-Of its beginning to

be accomplished. Is near-Even when St. John wrote. How much

nearer to us is even the full accomplishment of this weighty

prophecy!

Verse 4. John-The dedication of this book is contained in the

fourth, fifth, and sixth verses; but the whole Revelation is a

kind of letter. To the seven churches which are in Asia-That

part of the Lesser Asia which was then a Roman province. There

had been several other churches planted here; but it seems these

were now the most eminent; and it was among these that St. John

had laboured most during his abode in Asia. In these cities

there were many Jews. Such of them as believed in each were

joined with the gentile believers in one church. Grace be unto

you, and peace-The favour of God, with all temporal and eternal

blessings. From him who is, and who was, and who cometh, or,

who is to come-A wonderful translation of the great name JEHOVAH:

he was of old, he is now, he cometh; that is, will be for ever.

And from the seven spirits which are before his throne-Christ is

he who "hath the seven spirits of God." "The seven lamps which

burn before the throne are the seven spirits of God." " The

lamb hath seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits

of God." Seven was a sacred number in the Jewish church: but it

did not always imply a precise number. It sometimes is to be

taken figuratively, to denote completeness or perfection. By

these seven spirits, not seven created angels, but the Holy

Ghost is to be understood. The angels are never termed spirits

in this book; and when all the angels stand up, while the four

living creatures and the four and twenty elders worship him

that sitteth on the throne, and the Lamb, the seven spirits

neither stand up nor worship. To these "seven spirits of God,"

the seven churches, to whom the Spirit speaks so many things,

are subordinate; as are also their angels, yea, and "the seven

angels which stand before God." He is called the seven spirits,

not with regard to his essence, which is one, but with regard

to his manifold operations.

Verse 5. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first

begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth

-Three glorious appellations are here given him, and in their

proper order. He was the faithful witness of the whole will of

God before his death, and in death, and remains such in glory.

He rose from the dead, as "the first fruits of them that slept;"

and now hath all power both in heaven and earth. He is here

styled a prince: but by and by he hears his title of king; yea,

King of kings, and Lord of lords." This phrase, the kings of

the earth, signifies their power and multitude, and also the

nature of their kingdom. It became the Divine Majesty to call

them kings with a limitation; especially in this manifesto from

his heavenly kingdom; for no creature, much less a sinful man,

can bear the title of king in an absolute sense before the eyes

of God.

Verse 6. To him that loveth us, and, out of that free, abundant

love, hath washed us from the guilt and power of our sins with

his own blood, and hath made us kings-Partakers of his present,

and heirs of his eternal, kingdom. And priests unto his God and

Father-To whom we continually offer ourselves, an holy, living

sacrifice. To him be the glory-For his love and redemption.

And the might-Whereby he governs all things.

Verse 7. Behold-In this and the next verse is the proposition,

and the summary of the whole book. He cometh-Jesus Christ.

Throughout this book, whenever it is said, He cometh, it means

his glorious coming. The preparation for this began at the

destruction of Jerusalem, and more particularly at the time of

writing this book; and goes on, without any interruption, till

that grand event is accomplished. Therefore it is never said

in this book, He will come; but, He cometh. And yet it is not

said, He cometh again: for when he came before, it was not like

himself, but in "the form of a servant." But his appearing in

glory is properly his coming; namely, in a manner worthy of the

Son of God. And every eye-Of the Jews in particular. Shall see

him-But with what different emotions, according as they had

received or rejected him. And they who have pierced him-They,

above all, who pierced his hands, or feet, or side. Thomas saw

the print of these wounds even after his resurrection; and the

same, undoubtedly, will be seen by all, when he cometh in the

clouds of heaven. And all the tribes of the earth-The word

tribes, in the Revelation, always means the Israelites: but

where another word, such as nations or people, is joined with

it, it implies likewise (as here) all the rest of mankind.

Shall wail because of him-For terror and pain, if they did not

wail before by true repentance. Yea, Amen-This refers to, every

eye shall see him. He that cometh saith, Yea; he that testifies

it, Amen. The word translated yea is Greek; Amen is Hebrew: for

what is here spoken respects both Jew and gentile.

Verse 8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God-Alpha

is the first, Omega, the last, letter in the Greek alphabet.

Let his enemies boast and rage ever so much in the intermediate

time, yet the Lord God is both the Alpha, or beginning, and the

Omega, or end, of all things. God is the beginning, as he is the

Author and Creator of all things, and as he proposes, declares,

and promises so great things: he is the end, as he brings all

the things which are here revealed to a complete and glorious

conclusion. Again, the beginning and end of a thing is in

scripture styled the whole thing. Therefore God is the Alpha

and the Omega, the beginning and the end; that is, one who is

all things, and always the same.

Verse 9. I John-The instruction and preparation of the apostle

for the work are described from the ninth to the twentieth

verse. # Rev 1:9-20

Your brother-In the common faith. And companion in the

affliction-For the same persecution which carried him to

Patmos drove them into Asia. This book peculiarly belongs to

those who are under the cross. It was given to a banished man;

and men in affliction understand and relish it most. Accordingly,

it was little esteemed by the Asiatic church, after the time of

Constantine; but highly valued by all the African churches, as

it has been since by all the persecuted children of God. In the

affliction, and kingdom and patience of Jesus-The kingdom stands

in the midst. It is chiefly under various afflictions that

faith obtains its part in the kingdom; and whosoever is a

partaker of this kingdom is not afraid to suffer for Jesus,

# 2Tim 2:12.

I was in the island Patmos-In the reign of Domitian and of

Nerva. And there he saw and wrote all that follows. It was a

place peculiarly proper for these visions. He had over against

him, at a small distance, Asia and the seven churches; going on

eastward, Jerusalem and the land of Canaan; and beyond this,

Antioch, yea, the whole continent of Asia. To the west, he had

Rome, Italy, and all Europe, swimming, as it were, in the sea;

to the south, Alexandria and the Nile with its outlets, Egypt,

and all Africa; and to the north, what was afterwards called

Constantinople, on the straits between Europe and Asia. So he

had all the three parts of the world which were then known, with

all Christendom, as it were, before his eyes; a large theatre for

all the various scenes which were to pass before him: as if this

island had been made principally for this end, to serve as an

observatory for the apostle. For preaching the word of God

he was banished thither, and for the testimony of Jesus-For

testifying that he is the Christ.

Verse 10. I was in the Spirit-That is, in a trance, a prophetic

vision; so overwhelmed with the power, and filled with the

light, of the Holy Spirit, as to be insensible of outward

things, and wholly taken up with spiritual and divine. What

follows is one single, connected vision, which St. John saw in

one day; and therefore he that would understand it should carry

his thought straight on through the whole, without interruption.

The other prophetic books are collections of distinct prophecies,

given upon various occasions: but here is one single treatise,

whereof all the parts exactly depend on each other.

Chapter iv. 1 # Rev 4:1 is connected with chapter i. 19;

# Rev 1:19 and what is delivered in the fourth chapter goes

on directly to the twenty-second. On the Lord's day-On this our

Lord rose from the dead: on this the ancients believed he will

come to judgment. It was, therefore, with the utmost propriety

that St. John on this day both saw and described his coming.

And I heard behind me-St. John had his face to the east: our

Lord, likewise, in this appearance looked eastward toward Asia,

whither the apostle was to write. A great voice, as of a trumpet

-Which was peculiarly proper to proclaim the coming of the great

King, and his victory over all his enemies.

Verse 11. Saying, What thou seest-And hearest. He both saw and

heard. This command extends to the whole book. All the books

of the New Testament were written by the will of God; but none

were so expressly commanded to be written. In a book-So all the

Revelation is but one book: nor did the letter to the angel of

each church belong to him or his church only; but the whole book

was sent to them all. To the churches-Hereafter named; and

through them to all churches, in all ages and nations. To

Ephesus-Mr. Thomas Smith, who in the year 1671 travelled through

all these cities, observes, that from Ephesus to Smyrna is

forty-six English miles; from Smyrna to Pergamos, sixty-four;

from Pergamos to Thyatira, forty-eight; from Thyatira to Sardis,

thirty-three; from Sardis to Philadelphia, twenty-seven; from

Philadelphia to Laodicea, about forty-two miles.

Verses 12, 13. And I turned to see the voice-That is, to see

him whose voice it was. And being turned, I saw-It seems, the

vision presented itself gradually. First he heard a voice;

and, upon looking behind, he saw the golden candlesticks, and

then, in the midst of the candlesticks, which were placed in a

circle, he saw one like a son of man-That is, in an human form.

As a man likewise our Lord doubtless appears in heaven: though

not exactly in this symbolical manner, wherein he presents

himself as the head of his church. He next observed that our

Lord was clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt with

a golden girdle-Such the Jewish high priests wore. But both of

them are here marks of royal dignity likewise. Girt about at

the breast-he that is on a journey girds his loins. Girding the

breast was an emblem of solemn rest. It seems that the apostle

having seen all this, looked up to behold the face of our Lord:

but was beat back by the appearance of his flaming eyes, which

occasioned his more particularly observing his feet. Receiving

strength to raise his eyes again, he saw the stars in his right

hand, and the sword coming out of his mouth: but upon beholding

the brightness of his glorious countenance, which probably was

much increased since the first glance the apostle had of it, he

"fell at his feet as dead." During the time that St. John was

discovering these several particulars, our Lord seems to have

been speaking. And doubtless even his voice, at the very first,

bespoke the God: though not so insupportably as his glorious

appearance.

Verses 12, 13. And I turned to see the voice-That is, to see

him whose voice it was. And being turned, I saw-It seems, the

vision presented itself gradually. First he heard a voice;

and, upon looking behind, he saw the golden candlesticks, and

then, in the midst of the candlesticks, which were placed in a

circle, he saw one like a son of man-That is, in an human form.

As a man likewise our Lord doubtless appears in heaven: though

not exactly in this symbolical manner, wherein he presents

himself as the head of his church. He next observed that our

Lord was clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt with

a golden girdle-Such the Jewish high priests wore. But both of

them are here marks of royal dignity likewise. Girt about at

the breast-he that is on a journey girds his loins. Girding the

breast was an emblem of solemn rest. It seems that the apostle

having seen all this, looked up to behold the face of our Lord:

but was beat back by the appearance of his flaming eyes, which

occasioned his more particularly observing his feet. Receiving

strength to raise his eyes again, he saw the stars in his right

hand, and the sword coming out of his mouth: but upon beholding

the brightness of his glorious countenance, which probably was

much increased since the first glance the apostle had of it, he

"fell at his feet as dead." During the time that St. John was

discovering these several particulars, our Lord seems to have

been speaking. And doubtless even his voice, at the very first,

bespoke the God: though not so insupportably as his glorious

appearance.

Verse 14. His head and his hair-That is, the hair of his head,

not his whole head. Were white as white wool-Like the Ancient

of Days, represented in Daniel's vision, # Dan 7:9. Wool is

commonly supposed to be an emblem of eternity. As snow

-Betokening his spotless purity. And his eyes as a flame of

fire-Piercing through all things; a token of his omniscience.

Verse 15. And his feet like fine brass-Denoting his stability

and strength. As if they burned in a furnace-As if having been

melted and refined, they were still red hot. And his voice-To

the comfort of his friends, and the terror of his enemies. As

the voice of many waters-Roaring aloud, and bearing down all

before them.

Verse 16. And he had in his right hand seven stars-In token of

his favour and powerful protection. And out of his mouth went

a sharp two-edged sword-Signifying his justice and righteous

anger, continually pointed against his enemies as a sword;

sharp, to stab; two-edged, to hew. And his countenance was as

the sun shineth in his strength-Without any mist or cloud.

Verse 17. And I fell at his feet as dead-Human nature not being

able to sustain so glorious an appearance. Thus was he prepared

(like Daniel of old, whom he peculiarly resembles) for receiving

so weighty a prophecy. A great sinking of nature usually

precedes a large communication of heavenly things. St. John,

before our Lord suffered, was so intimate with him, as to lean

on his breast, to lie in his bosom. Yet now, near seventy years

after, the aged apostle is by one glance struck to the ground.

What a glory must this be! Ye sinners, be afraid cleanse your

hands: purify your hearts. Ye saints, be humble, prepare:

rejoice.

But rejoice unto him with reverence: an increase of reverence

towards this awful majesty can be no prejudice to your faith.

Let all petulancy, with all vain curiosity, be far away, while

you are thinking or reading of these things. And he laid his

right hand upon me-The same wherein he held the seven stars.

What did St. John then feel in himself? Saying, Fear not-His

look terrifies, his speech strengthens. He does not call John

by his name, (as the angels did Zechariah and others,) but

speaks as his well known master. What follows is also spoken

to strengthen and encourage him. I am-When in his state of

humiliation he spoke of his glory, he frequently spoke in the

third person, as # Matt 26:64. But he now speaks of his own

glory, without any veil, in plain and direct terms. The first

and the last-That is, the one, eternal God, who is from

everlasting to everlasting, # Isaiah 41:4.

Verse 18. And he that liveth-Another peculiar title of God.

And I have the keys of death and of hades-That is, the

invisible world. In the intermediate state, the body abides

in death, the soul in hades. Christ hath the keys of, that

is, the power over, both; killing or quickening of the body,

and disposing of the soul, as it pleaseth him. He gave St.

Peter the keys of the kingdom of heaven; but not the keys of

death or of hades. How comes then his supposed successor at

Rome by the keys of purgatory?

From the preceding description, mostly, are taken the titles

given to Christ in the following letters, particularly the

four first.

Verse 19. Write the things which thou hast seen-This day: which

accordingly are written, # Rev 1:11-18.

And which are-The instructions relating to the present state

of the seven churches. These are written, # Rev 1:20-Rev 3:22.

And which shall be hereafter-To the end of the world; written,

# Rev 4:1, &c.

Verse 20. Write first the mystery-The mysterious meaning of

the seven stars-St. John knew better than we do, in how many

respects these stars were a proper emblem of those angels: how

nearly they resembled each other, and how far they differed in

magnitude, brightness, aa& other circumstances. The seven stars

are angels of the seven churches-Mentioned in the eleventh verse.

# Rev 1:11 In each church there was one pastor or ruling

minister, to whom all the rest were subordinate. This pastor,

bishop, or overseer, had the peculiar care over that flock:

on him the prosperity of that congregation in a great measure

depended, and he was to answer for all those souls at the judgment

seat of Christ. And the seven candlesticks are seven churches

-How significant an emblem is this! For a candlestick, though of

gold, has no light of itself; neither has any church, or child of

man. But they receive from Christ the light of truth, holiness,

comfort, that it may shine to all around them. As soon as this

was spoken St. John wrote it down, even all that is contained in

this first chapter. Afterwards what was contained in the second

and third chapters was dictated to him in like manner.

CHAP. II. Of the following letters to the angels of the seven

churches it may be necessary to speak first in general, and

then particularly.

In general we may observe, when the Israelites were to receive

the law at Mount Sinai, they were first to be purified; and when

the kingdom of God was at hand, John the Baptist prepared men for

it by repentance. In like manner we are prepared by these

letters for the worthy reception of this glorious revelation. By

following the directions given herein, by expelling incorrigibly

wicked men, and putting away all wickedness, those churches were

prepared to receive this precious depositum. And whoever in any

age would profitably read or hear it, must observe the same

admonitions.

These letters are a kind of sevenfold preface to the book.

Christ now appears in the form of a man, (not yet under

the emblem of a lamb,) and speaks mostly in proper, not in

figurative, words. It is not till # Rev 4:1, that St. John

enters upon that grand vision which takes up the residue of

the book.

There is in each of these letters,

1. A command to write to the angel of the church;

2. A glorious title of Christ;

3. An address to the angel of that church, containing

A testimony of his mixed, or good, or bad state;

An exhortation to repentance or steadfastness;

A declaration of what will be; generally, of the Lord's coming;

4. A promise to him that overcometh, together with the exhortation,

"He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear"

The address in each letter is expressed in plain words, the

promise, in figurative. In the address our Lord speaks to the

angel of each church which then was, and to the members thereof

directly; whereas in the promise he speaks of all that should

overcome, in whatever church or age, and deals out to them one

of the precious promises, (by way of anticipation,) from the

last chapters of the book.

Verse 1. Write-So Christ dictated to him every word. These

things saith he who holdeth the seven stars in his right hand

-Such is his mighty power! Such his favour to them and care

over them, that they may indeed shine as stars, both by purity

of doctrine and holiness of life! Who walketh-According to his

promise, "I am with you always, even to the end of the world."

In the midst of the golden candlesticks-Beholding all their

works and thoughts, and ready to "remove the candlestick out of

its place," if any, being warned, will not repent. Perhaps here

is likewise an allusion to the office of the priests in dressing

the lamps, which was to keep them always burning before the Lord.

Verse 2. I know-Jesus knows all the good and all the evil,

which his servants and his enemies suffer and do. Weighty word,

"I know," how dreadful will it one day sound to the wicked, how

sweet to the righteous! The churches and their angels must

have been astonished, to find their several states so exactly

described, even in the absence of the apostle, and could not but

acknowledge the all-seeing eye of Christ and of his Spirit.

With regard to us, to every one of us also he saith, "I know thy

works." Happy is he that conceives less good of himself, than

Christ knows concerning him. And thy labour-After the general,

three particulars are named, and then more largely described in

an inverted order,

1. Thy labour 6. Thou hast borne for my name's sake and

hast not fainted.

2. Thy patience: 5. Thou hast patience:

3. Thou canst not 4. Thou hast tried those who say they are

bear evil men: apostles and are not, and hast found

them liars.

And thy patience-Notwithstanding which thou canst not bear that

incorrigibly wicked men should remain in the flock of Christ.

And thou hast tried those who say they are apostles, and are

not-For the Lord hath not sent them.

Verse 4. But I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first

love-That love for which all that church was so eminent when

St. Paul wrote his epistle to them. He need not have left this.

He might have retained it entire to the end. And he did retain

it in part, or there could not have remained so much of what was

commendable in him. But he had not kept, as he might have done,

the first tender love in its vigour and warmth.

Reader, hast thou?

5. It is not possible for any to recover the first love, but by

taking these three steps, 1. Remember: 2. Repent: 3. Do the

first works. Remember from whence thou art fallen-From what

degree of faith, love, holiness, though perhaps insensibly.

And repent-Which in the very lowest sense implies a deep and

lively conviction of thy fall. Of the seven angels, two, at

Ephesus and at Pergamos, were in a mixed state; two, at Sardis

and at Laodicea, were greatly corrupted: all these are exhorted

to repent; as are the followers of Jezebel at Thyatira: two, at

Smyrna and Philadelphia, were in a flourishing state, and are

therefore only exhorted to steadfastness.

There can be no state, either of any pastor, church, or single

person, which has not here suitable instructions. All, whether

ministers or hearers, together with their secret or open

enemies, in all places and all ages, may draw hence necessary

self-knowledge, reproof, commendation, warning, or confirmation.

Whether any be as dead as the angel at Sardis, or as much alive

as the angel at Philadelphia, this book is sent to him, and the

Lord Jesus hath something to say to him therein. For the seven

churches with their angels represent the whole Christian church,

dispersed throughout the whole world, as it subsists, not, as

some have imagined, in one age after another, but in every age.

This is a point of deep importance, and always necessary to be

remembered: that these seven churches are, as it were, a sample

of the whole church of Christ, as it was then, as it is now, and

as it will be in all ages. Do the first works-Outwardly and

inwardly, or thou canst never regain the first love. But if

not-By this word is the warning sharpened to those five churches

which are called to repent; for if Ephesus was threatened, how

much more shall Sardis and Laodicea be afraid! And according as

they obey the call or not, there is a promise or a threatening,

# Rev 2:5,16,22; # Rev 3:3,20. But even in the threatening the

promise is implied, in case of true repentance. I come to thee,

and will remove thy candlestick out of its place-I will remove,

unless thou repent, the flock now under thy care to another

place, where they shall be better taken care of. But from the

flourishing state of the church of Ephesus after this, there is

reason to believe he did repent.

Verse 6. But thou hast this-Divine grace seeks whatever may help

him that is fallen to recover his standing. That thou hatest the

works of the Nicolaitans-Probably so called from Nicolas, one of

the seven deacons, # Acts 6:5. Their doctrines and lives were

equally corrupt. They allowed the most abominable lewdness and

adulteries, as well as sacrificing to idols; all which they

placed among things indifferent, and pleaded for as branches of

Christian liberty.

7. He that hath an ear, let him hear-Every man, whoever can hear

at all, ought carefully to hear this. What the Spirit saith-In

these great and precious promises. To the churches-And in them

to every one that overcometh; that goeth on from faith and by faith

to full victory over the world, and the flesh, and the devil.

In these seven letters twelve promises are contained, which are

an extract of all the promises of God. Some of them are not

expressly mentioned again in this book, as "the hidden manna,"

the inscription of "the name of the new Jerusalem," the

"sitting upon the throne." Some resemble what is afterwards

mentioned, as "the hidden name," # Rev 19:12; "the ruling the

nations," # Rev 19:15; "the morning star," # Rev 22:16.

And some are expressly mentioned, as "the tree of life,"

# Rev 22:2; freedom from "the second death," # Rev 20:6; the

name in "the book of life," # Rev 20:12; 21:27; the remaining

"in the temple of God," # Rev 7:15; the inscription of "the name

of God and of the Lamb," # Rev 14:1; 22:4. In these promises

sometimes the enjoyment of the highest goods, sometimes

deliverance from the greatest evils, is mentioned. And each

implies the other, so that where either part is expressed, the

whole is to be understood. That part is expressed which has most

resemblance to the virtues or works of him that was spoken to in

the letter preceding. To eat of the tree of life-The first

thing promised in these letters is the last and highest in the

accomplishment, # Rev 22:2,14,19.

The tree of life and the water of life go together,

# Rev 22:1,2; both implying the living with God eternally.

In the paradise of my God-The word paradise means a garden

of pleasure. In the earthly paradise there was one tree of life:

there are no other trees in the paradise of God.

Verse 8. These things saith the first and the last, who was dead

and is alive-How directly does this description tend to confirm

him against the fear of death! verses 10, 11. # Rev 2:10,11

Even with the comfort wherewith St. John himself was comforted,

# Rev 1:17,18, shall the angel of this church be comforted.

Verse 9. I know thy affliction and poverty-A poor prerogative in

the eyes of the world! The angel at Philadelphia likewise had

in their sight but "a little strength." And yet these two were

the most honourable of all in the eyes of the Lord. But thou art

rich-In faith and love, of more value than all the kingdoms of

the earth. Who say they are Jews-God's own people. And are not

-They are not Jews inwardly, not circumcised in heart. But a

synagogue of Satan-Who, like them, was a liar and a murderer

from the beginning.

Verse 10. The first and last words of this verse are particularly

directed to the minister; whence we may gather, that his

suffering and the affliction of the church were at the same time,

and of the same continuance. Fear none of those things which

thou art about to suffer-Probably by means of the false Jews.

Behold-This intimates the nearness of the affliction. Perhaps

the ten days began on the very day that the Revelation was read

at Smyrna, or at least very soon after. The devil-Who sets all

persecutors to work; and these more particularly. Is about to

cast some of you-Christians at Smyrna; where, in the first ages,

the blood of many martyrs was shed. Into prison, that ye may be

tried-To your unspeakable advantage,

# 1Pet 4:12,14.

And ye shall have affliction-Either in your own persons, or by

sympathizing with your brethren. Ten days-(Literally taken)

in the end of Domitian's persecution, which was stopped by the

edict of the emperor Nerva. Be thou faithful-Our Lord does not

say, "till I come," as in the other letters, but unto death

-Signifying that the angel of this church should quickly after

seal his testimony with his blood; fifty years before the

martyrdom of Polycarp, for whom some have mistaken him.

And I will give thee the crown of life-The peculiar reward

of them who are faithful unto death.

Verse 11. The second death-The lake of fire, the portion of

the fearful, who do not overcome, # Rev 21:8.

Verse 12. The sword-With which I will cut off the impenitent,

verse 16. # Rev 2:16

Verse 13. Where the throne of Satan is-Pergamos was above

measure given to idolatry: so Satan had his throne and full

residence there. Thou holdest fast my name-Openly and resolutely

confessing me before men. Even in the days wherein Antipas

-Martyred under Domitian. Was my faithful witness-Happy is he

to whom Jesus, the faithful and true witness, giveth such a

testimony!

Verse 14, But thou hast there-Whom thou oughtest to have

immediately cast out from the flock. Them that hold the

doctrine of Balaam-Doctrine nearly resembling his. Who

taught Balak-And the rest of the Moabites. To cast a

stumblingblock before the sons of Israel-They are generally

termed, the children, but here, the sons, of Israel, in

opposition to the daughters of Moab, by whom Balaam enticed

them to fornication and idolatry. To eat things sacrificed

to idols-Which, in so idolatrous a city as Pergamos, was in

the highest degree hurtful to Christianity. And to commit

fornication-Which was constantly joined with the idol-worship

of the heathens.

Verse 15. In like manner thou also-As well as the angel

at Ephesus. Hast them that hold the doctrine of the

Nicolaitans-And thou sufferest them to remain in the flock.

Verse 16. If not, I come to thee-who wilt not wholly escape

when I punish them. And will fight with them-Not with the

Nicolaitans, who are mentioned only by the by, but the

followers of Balaam. With the sword of my mouth-With my just

and fierce displeasure. Balaam himself was first withstood by

the angel of the Lord with "his sword drawn," # Num 22:23,

and afterwards "slain with the sword," # Num 31:8.

Verse 17. To him that overcometh-And eateth not of those

sacrifices. Will I give of the hidden manna-Described, John vi.

The new name answers to this: it is now "hid with Christ in

God." The Jewish manna was kept in the ancient ark of the

covenant. The heavenly ark of the covenant appears under the

trumpet of the seventh angel, # Rev 11:19, where also the hidden

manna is mentioned again. It seems properly to mean, the full,

glorious, everlasting fruition of God. And I will give him a

white stone-The ancients, on many occasions, gave their votes

in judgment by small stones; by black, they condemned; by white

ones they acquitted. Sometimes also they wrote on small smooth

stones. Here may be an allusion to both. And a new name-So

Jacob, after his victory, gained the new name of Israel.

Wouldest thou know what thy new name will be? The way to this

is plain,-overcome. Till then all thy inquiries are vain.

Thou wilt then read it on the white stone.

Verse 18. And to the angel of the church at Thyatira-Where the

faithful were but a little flock. These things saith the Son

of God-See how great he is, who appeared "like a son of man!"

# Rev 1:13.

Who hath eyes as a flame of fire-"Searching the reins and the

heart," verse 23. # Rev 2:23

And feet like fine brass-Denoting his immense strength. Job

comprises both these, his wisdom to discern whatever is amiss,

and his power to avenge it, in one sentence, # Job 42:2,

"No thought is hidden from him, and he can do all things."

Verse 19. I know thy love-How different a character is this from

that of the angel of the church at Ephesus! The latter could

not bear the wicked, and hated the works of the Nicolaitans; but

had left his first love and first works. The former retained

his first love, and had more and more works, but did bear the

wicked, did not withstand them with becoming vehemence. Mixed

characters both; yet the latter, not the former, is reproved for

his fall, and commanded to repent. And faith, and thy service,

and patience-Love is shown, exercised, and improved by serving

God and our neighbour; so is faith by patience and good works.

Verse 20. But thou sufferest that woman Jezebel-who ought not

to teach at all, # 1Tim 2:12.

To teach and seduce my servants-At Pergamos were many followers

of Balaam; at Thyatira, one grand deceiver. Many of the ancients

have delivered, that this was the wife of the pastor himself.

Jezebel of old led the people of God to open idolatry. This

Jezebel, fitly called by her name, from the resemblance between

their works, led them to partake in the idolatry of the heathens.

This she seems to have done by first enticing them to fornication,

just as Balaam did: whereas at Pergamos they were first enticed

to idolatry, and afterwards to fornication.

Verse 21. And I gave her time to repent-So great is the power of

Christ! But she will not repent-So, though repentance is the

gift of God, man may refuse it; God will not compel.

Verse 22. I will cast her into a bed-into great affliction-and

them that commit either carnal or spiritual adultery with her,

unless they repent-She had her time before. Of her works-Those

to which she had enticed their and which she had committed with

them.

It is observable, the angel of the church at Thyatira was only

blamed for suffering her. This fault ceased when God took

vengeance on her. Therefore he is not expressly exhorted to

repent, though it is implied.

Verse 23. And I will kill her children-Those which she hath

borne in adultery, and them whom she hath seduced. With

death-This expression denotes death by the plague, or by

some manifest stroke of God's hand. Probably the remarkable

vengeance taken on her children was the token of the certainty

of all the rest. And all the churches-To which thou now

writest. Shall know that I search the reins-The desires.

And hearts-Thoughts.

Verse 24. But I say to you who do not hold this doctrine-Of

Jezebel. Who have not known the depths of Satan-O happy

ignorance! As they speak-That were continually boasting of the

deep things which they taught. Our Lord owns they were deep,

even deep as hell: for they were the very depths of Satan.

Were these the same of which Martin Luther speaks? It is well

if there are not some of his countrymen now in England who know

them too well! I will lay upon you no other burden-Than that

you have already suffered from Jezebel and her adherents.

Verse 25. What ye-Both the angel and the church have.

Verse 26. By works-Those which I have commanded. To him will

I give power over the nations-That is, I will give him to share

with me in that glorious victory which the Father hath promised

me over all the nations who as yet resist me, # Psalm 2:8,9.

Verse 27. And he shall rule them-That is, shall share with me

when I do this. With a rod of iron-With irresistible power,

employed on those only who will not otherwise submit; who will

hereby be dashed in pieces-Totally conquered.

Verse 28. I will give him the morning star-Thou, O Jesus, art

the morning star! O give thyself to me! Then will I desire no

sun, only thee, who art the sun also. He whom this star

enlightens has always morning and no evening. The duties and

promises here answer each other; the valiant conqueror has power

over the stubborn nations. And he that, after having conquered

his enemies, keeps the works of Christ to the end, shall have

the morning star,-an unspeakable brightness and peaceable

dominion in him.

Verse 1. The seven spirits of God-The Holy Spirit, from whom

alone all spiritual life and strength proceed. And the seven

stars-which are subordinate to him. Thou hast a name that

thou livest-A fair reputation, a goodly outside appearance.

But that Spirit seeth through all things, and every empty

appearance vanishes before him.

Verse 2. The things which remain-In thy soul; knowledge of the

truth, good desires, and convictions. Which were ready to die

-Wherever pride, indolence, or levity revives, all the fruits

of the Spirit are ready to die.

Verse 3. Remember how-Humbly, zealously, seriously. Thou

didst receive the grace of God once, and hear-His word. And

hold fast-The grace thou hast received. And repent-According

to the word thou hast heard.

Verse 4. Yet thou hast a few names-That is, persons. But

though few, they had not separated themselves from the rest;

otherwise, the angel of Sardis would not have had them. Yet

it was no virtue of his, that they were unspotted; whereas

it was his fault that they were but few. Who have not defiled

their garments-Either by spotting themselves, or by partaking

of other men's sins. They shall walk with me in white-in joy;

in perfect holiness; in glory. They are worthy-A few good among

many bad are doubly acceptable to God. O how much happier is

this worthiness than that mentioned, # Rev 16:6.

Verse 5. He shall be clothed in white raiment-The colour of

victory, joy, and triumph. And I will not blot his name out

of the book of life-Like that of the angel of the church at

Sardis: but he shall live for ever. I will confess his name-As

one of my faithful servants and soldiers.

Verse 7. The holy one, the true one-Two great and glorious names

He that hath the key of David-A master of a family, or a prince,

has one or more keys, wherewith he can open and shut all the

doors of his house or palace. So had David a key, a token of

right and sovereignty, which was afterward adjudged to Eliakim,

# Isaiah 22:22. Much more has Christ, the Son of David, the

key of the spiritual city of David, the New Jerusalem; the

supreme right, power, and authority, as in his own house.

He openeth this to all that overcome, and none shutteth: he

shutteth it against all the fearful, and none openeth. Likewise

when he openeth a door on earth for his works or his servants,

none can shut; and when he shutteth against whatever would hurt

or defile, none can open.

Verse 8. I have given before thee an opened door-To enter into

the joy of thy Lord; and, meantime, to go on unhindered in every

good work. Thou hast a little strength-But little outward human

strength; a little, poor, mean, despicable company. Yet thou

hast kept my word-Both in judgment and practice.

Verse 9. Behold, I-who have all power; and they must then

comply. I will make them come and bow down before thy feet-Pay

thee the lowest homage. And know-At length, that all depends

on my love, and that thou hast a place therein. O how often

does the judgment of the people turn quite round, when the

Lord looketh upon them! # Job 42:7, &c.

Verse 10. Because thou hast kept the word of my patience-The

word of Christ is indeed a word of patience. I also will keep

thee-O happy exemption from that spreading calamity! From the

hour of temptation-So that thou shalt not enter into temptation;

but it shall pass over thee. The hour denotes the short time of

its continuance; that is, at any one place. At every one it was

very sharp, though short; wherein the great tempter was not

idle, # Rev 2:10.

Which hour shall come upon the whole earth-The whole Roman empire.

It went over the Christians, and over the Jews and heathens;

though in a very different manner. This was the time of the

persecution under the seemingly virtuous emperor Trajan. The

two preceding persecutions were under those monsters, Nero

and Domitian; but Trajan was so admired for his goodness, and

his persecution was of such a nature, that it was a temptation

indeed, and did throughly try them that dwelt upon the earth.

Verse 11. Thy crown-Which is ready for thee, if thou endure

to the end.

Verse 12. I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God-I

will fix him as beautiful, as useful, and as immovable as a

pillar in the church of God. And he shall go out no more-But

shall be holy and happy for ever. And I will write upon him

the name of my God-So that the nature and image of God shall

appear visibly upon him. And the name of the city of my God

-Giving him a title to dwell in the New Jerusalem. And my

new name-A share in that joy which I entered into, after

overcoming all my enemies.

Verse 14. To the angel of the church at Laodicea-For these

St. Paul had had a great concern, # Col 2:1.

These things saith the Amen-That is, the True One, the God of

truth. The beginning-The Author, Prince, and Ruler. Of the

creation of God-Of all creatures; the beginning, or Author, by

whom God made them all.

Verse 15. I know thy works-Thy disposition and behaviour,

though thou knowest it not thyself. That thou art neither

cold-An utter stranger to the things of God, having no care

or thought about them. Nor hot-As boiling water: so ought we

to be penetrated and heated by the fire of love. O that thou

wert-This wish of our Lord plainly implies that he does not

work on us irresistibly, as the fire does on the water which

it heats. Cold or hot-Even if thou wert cold, without any

thought or profession of religion, there would be more hope

of thy recovery.

Verse 16. So because thou art lukewarm-The effect of lukewarm

water is well known. I am about to spue thee out of my mouth

-I will utterly cast thee from me; that is, unless thou repent.

Verse 17. Because thou sayest-Therefore "I counsel thee," &c.

I am rich-In gifts and grace, as well as worldly goods. And

knowest not that thou art-In God's account, wretched and pitiable.

Verse 18. I counsel thee-who art poor, and blind, and naked.

To buy of me-Without money or price. Gold purified in the

fire-True, living faith, which is purified in the furnace of

affliction. And white raiment-True holiness. And eyesalve

-Spiritual illumination; the "unction of the Holy One," which

teacheth all things.

Verse 19. Whomsoever I love-Even thee, thou poor Laodicean!

O how much has his unwearied love to do! I rebuke-For what

is past. And chasten-That they may amend for the time to come.

Verse 20. I stand at the door, and knock-Even at this instant;

while he is speaking this word. If any man open-Willingly

receive me. I will sup with him-Refreshing him with my graces

and gifts, and delighting myself in what I have given. And he

with me-In life everlasting.

Verse 21. I will give him to sit with me on my throne-In

unspeakable happiness and glory. Elsewhere, heaven itself

is termed the throne of God: but this throne is in heaven.

Verse 22. He that hath an ear, let him hear, &c.-This stands

in the three former letters before the promise; in the four

latter, after it; clearly dividing the seven into two parts;

the first containing three, the last, four letters. The titles

given our Lord in the three former letters peculiarly respect

his power after his resurrection and ascension, particularly

over his church; those in the four latter, his divine glory,

and unity with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Again, this

word being placed before the promises in the three former

letters, excludes the false apostles at Ephesus, the false

Jews at Smyrna, and the partakers with the heathens at Pergamos,

from having any share therein. In the four latter, being placed

after them, it leaves the promises immediately joined with

Christ's address to the angel of the church, to show that the

fulfilling of these was near; whereas the others reach beyond

the end of the world. It should be observed, that the

overcoming, or victory, (to which alone these peculiar promises

are annexed,) is not the ordinary victory obtained by every

believer; but a special victory over great and peculiar

temptations, by those that are strong in faith.

CHAP. IV We are now entering upon the main prophecy. The whole

Revelation may be divided thus:-

The first, second, and third chapters contain the introduction;

The fourth and fifth, the proposition;

The sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth describe things which are

already fulfilled;

The tenth to the fourteenth, things which are now fulfilling;

The fifteenth to the nineteenth, things which will be fulfilled

shortly;

The twentieth, twenty-first, and twenty-second, things at a

greater distance.

Verse 1. After these things-As if he had said, After I had

written these letters from the mouth of the Lord. By the

particle and, the several parts of this prophecy are usually

connected: by the expression, after these things, they are

distinguished from each other, # Rev 7:9; 19:1. By that

expression, and after these things, they are distinguished, and

yet connected, # Rev 7:1; 15:5; 18:1. St. John always saw

and heard, and then immediately wrote down one part after

another: and one part is constantly divided from another by some

one of these expressions. I saw-Here begins the relation of the

main vision, which is connected throughout; as it appears from

"the throne, and him that sitteth thereon;" "the Lamb;" (who

hitherto has appeared in the form of a man;) " the four living

creatures;" and " the four and twenty elders," represented from

this place to the end. From this place, it is absolutely

necessary to keep in mind the genuine order of the texts, as it

stands in the preceding table. A door opened in heaven-Several

of these openings are successively mentioned. Here a door is

opened; afterward, "the temple of God in heaven,"

# Rev 11:19; 15:5; and, at last, "heaven" itself, 19:11. By

each of these St. John gains a new and more extended prospect.

And the first voice which I had heard-Namely, that of Christ:

afterward, he heard the voices of many others. Said, Come up

hither-Not in body, but in spirit; which was immediately done.

Verse 2. And immediately I was in the spirit-Even in an higher

degree than before, # Rev 1:10.

And, behold, a throne was set in heaven-St. John is to write

"things which shall be;" and, in order thereto, he is here shown,

after an heavenly manner, how whatever "shall be," whether good

or bad, flows out of invisible fountains; and how, after it is

done on the visible theatre of the world and the church, it flows

back again into the invisible world, as its proper and final scope.

Here commentators divide: some proceed theologically; others,

historically; whereas the right way is, to join both together.

The court of heaven is here laid open; and the throne of God is,

as it were, the centre from which everything in the visible world

goes forth, and to which everything returns. Here, also, the

kingdom of Satan is disclosed; and hence we may extract the most

important things out of the most comprehensive and, at the same

time, most secret history of the kingdom of hell and heaven.

But herein we must be content to know only what is expressly

revealed in this book. This describes, not barely what good or

evil is successively transacted on earth, but how each springs

from the kingdom of light or darkness, and continually tends to

the source whence it sprung: So that no man can explain all that

is contained therein, from the history of the church militant

only.

And yet the histories of past ages have their use, as this book

is properly prophetical. The more, therefore, we observe the

accomplishment of it, so much the more may we praise God, in his

truth, wisdom, justice, and almighty power, and learn to suit

ourselves to the time, according to the remarkable directions

contained in the prophecy. And one sat on the throne-As a

king, governor, and judge. Here is described God, the Almighty,

the Father of heaven, in his majesty, glory, and dominion.

Verse 3. And he that sat was in appearance-Shone with a visible

lustre, like that of sparkling precious stones, such as those

which were of old on the high priest's breastplate, and those

placed as the foundations of the new Jerusalem, # Rev 21:19,20.

If there is anything emblematical in the colours of these stones,

possibly the jasper, which is transparent and of a glittering

white, with an intermixture of beautiful colours, may be a symbol

of God's purity, with various other perfections, which shine in

all his dispensations. The sardine stone, of a blood-red colour,

may be an emblem of his justice, and the vengeance he was about

to execute on his enemies. An emerald, being green, may betoken

favour to the good; a rainbow, the everlasting covenant.

See # Gen 9:9.

And this being round about the whole breadth of the throne,

fixed the distance of those who stood or sat round it.

Verse 4. And round about the throne-In a circle, are four and

twenty thrones, and on the thrones four and twenty elders-The

most holy of all the former ages, # Isa 24:23; # Heb 12:1;

representing the whole body of the saints. Sitting-In general;

but falling down when they worship. Clothed in white raiment

-This and their golden crowns show, that they had already

finished their course and taken their place among the citizens

of heaven. They are never termed souls, and hence it is

probable that they had glorified bodies already.

Compare # Matt 27:52.

Verse 5. And out of the throne go forth lightnings-Which affect

the sight. Voices-Which affect the hearing. Thunderings-Which

cause the whole body to tremble. Weak men account all this

terrible; but to the inhabitants of heaven it is a mere source

of joy and pleasure, mixed with reverence to the Divine Majesty.

Even to the saints on earth these convey light and protection;

but to their enemies, terror and destruction.

Verse 6. And before the throne is a sea as of glass, like crystal

-Wide and deep, pure and clear, transparent and still. Both the

"seven lamps of fire" and this sea are before the throne; and

both may mean "the seven spirits of God," the Holy Ghost; whose

powers and operations are frequently represented both under the

emblem of fire and of water. We read again, # Rev 15:2, of

"a sea as of glass," where there is no mention of "the seven

lamps of fire;" but, on the contrary, the sea itself is "mingled

with fire." We read also, # Rev 22:1, of "a stream of water

of life, clear as crystal." Now, the sea which is before the

throne, and the stream which goes out of the throne, may both

mean the same; namely, the Spirit of God. And in the midst of

the throne-With respect to its height. Round about the throne

-That is, toward the four quarters, east, west, north, and south.

Were four living creatures-Not beasts, no more than birds. These

seem to be taken from the cherubim in the visions of Isaiah and

Ezekiel, and in the holy of holies. They are doubtless some

of the principal powers of heaven; but of what order, it is not

easy to determine. It is very probable that the twenty-four

elders may represent the Jewish church: their harps seem to

intimate their having belonged to the ancient tabernacle service,

where they were wont to be used. If so, the living creatures

may represent the Christian church. Their number, also, is

symbolical of universality, and agrees with the dispensation

of the gospel, which extended to all nations under heaven. And

the "new song" which they all sing, saying, "Thou hast redeemed

us out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation,"

# Rev 5:9, could not possibly suit the Jewish without the

Christian church. The first living creature was like a lion-To

signify undaunted courage. The second, like a calf-Or ox,

# Ezek 1:10, to signify unwearied patience.

The third, with the face of a man-To signify prudence and

compassion. The fourth, like an eagle-To signify activity and

vigour. Full of eyes-To betoken wisdom and knowledge.

Before-To see the face of him that sitteth on the throne.

And behind-To see what is done among the creatures.

Verse 7. And the first-Just such were the four cherubim in

Ezekiel, who supported the moving throne of God; whereas each

of those that overshadowed the mercy-seat in the holy of holies

had all these four faces: whence a late great man supposes them

to have been emblematic of the Trinity, and the incarnation of

the second Person. A flying eagle-That is, with wings expanded.

Verse 8. Each of them hath six wings-As had each of the seraphim

in Isaiah's vision. "Two covered his face," in token of humility

and reverence: "two his feet," perhaps in token of readiness and

diligence for executing divine commissions. Round about and

within they are full of eyes. Round about-To see everything

which is farther off from the throne than they are themselves.

And within-On the inner part of the circle which they make

with one another. First, they look from the centre to the

circumference, then from the circumference to the centre. And

they rest not-O happy unrest! Day and night-As we speak on

earth. But there is no night in heaven. And say, Holy, holy,

holy-Is the Three-One God.

There are two words in the original, very different from each

other; both which we translate holy. The one means properly

merciful; but the other, which occurs here, implies much more.

This holiness is the sum of all praise, which is given to the

almighty Creator, for all that he does and reveals concerning

himself, till the new song brings with it new matter of glory.

This word properly signifies separated, both in Hebrew and

other languages. And when God is termed holy, it denotes that

excellence which is altogether peculiar to himself; and the

glory flowing from all his attributes conjoined, shining forth

from all his works, and darkening all things besides itself,

whereby he is, and eternally remains, in an incomprehensible

manner separate and at a distance, not only from all that is

impure, but likewise from all that is created.

God is separate from all things. He is, and works from himself,

out of himself, in himself, through himself, for himself.

Therefore, he is the first and the last, the only one and the

Eternal, living and happy, endless and unchangeable, almighty,

omniscient, wise and true, just and faithful, gracious and

merciful.

Hence it is, that holy and holiness mean the same as God and

Godhead: and as we say of a king, "His Majesty;" so the

scripture says of God, "His Holiness," # Heb 12:10. The Holy

Spirit is the Spirit of God. When God is spoken of, he is often

named "the Holy One:" and as God swears by his name, so he does

also by his holiness; that is, by himself.

This holiness is often styled glory: often his holiness and

glory are celebrated together, # Lev 10:3; # Isa 6:3. For

holiness is covered glory, and glory is uncovered holiness.

The scripture speaks abundantly of the holiness and glory of the

Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost. And hereby is the mystery

of the Holy Trinity eminently confirmed.

That is also termed holy which is consecrated to him, and for

that end separated from other things: and so is that wherein we

may be like God, or united to him.

In the hymn resembling this, recorded by Isaiah, # Isa 6:3,

is added, "The whole earth is full of his glory." But this is

deferred in the Revelation, till the glory of the Lord (his

enemies being destroyed) fills the earth.

Verses 9, 10. And when the living creatures give glory-the

elders fall down-That is, as often as the living creatures

give glory, immediately the elders fall down. The expression

implies, that they did so at the same instant, and that they

both did this frequently. The living creatures do not say

directly, "Holy, holy, holy art thou;" but only bend a little,

out of deep reverence, and say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord."

But the elders, when they are fallen down, may say, "Worthy art

thou, O Lord our God."

Verses 9, 10. And when the living creatures give glory-the

elders fall down-That is, as often as the living creatures

give glory, immediately the elders fall down. The expression

implies, that they did so at the same instant, and that they

both did this frequently. The living creatures do not say

directly, "Holy, holy, holy art thou;" but only bend a little,

out of deep reverence, and say, "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord."

But the elders, when they are fallen down, may say, "Worthy art

thou, O Lord our God."

Verse 11. Worthy art thou to receive-This he receives not only

when he is thus praised, but also when he destroys his enemies

and glorifies himself anew. The glory and the honour and the

power-Answering the thrice-holy of the living creatures, verse 9.

# Rev 4:9

For thou hast created all things-Creation is the ground of all

the works of God: therefore, for this, as well as for his other

works, will he be praised to all eternity. And through thy will

they were-They began to be. It is to the free, gracious and

powerfully-working will of Him who cannot possibly need anything

that all things owe their first existence. And are created-That

is, continue in being ever since they were created.

Verse 1. And I saw-This is a continuation of the same narrative.

In the right hand-The emblem of his all-ruling power. He held

it openly, in order to give it to him that was worthy. It is

scarce needful to observe, that there is not in heaven any real

book of parchment or paper or that Christ does not really stand

there, in the shape of a lion or of a lamb. Neither is there on

earth any monstrous beast with seven heads and ten horns. But

as there is upon earth something which, in its kind, answers

such a representation; so there are in heaven divine counsels

and transactions answerable to these figurative expressions.

All this was represented to St. John at Patmos, in one day, by

way of vision. But the accomplishment of it extends from that

time throughout all ages. Writings serve to inform us of

distant and of future things. And hence things which are yet to

come are figuratively said to be "written in God's book;" so

were at that time the contents of this weighty prophecy. But

the book was sealed. Now comes the opening and accomplishing

also of the great things that are, as it were, the letters of

it. A book written within and without -That is, no part of it

blank, full of matter. Sealed with seven seals-According to the

seven principal parts contained in it, one on the outside of

each. The usual books of the ancients were not like ours, but

were volumes or long pieces of parchment, rolled upon a long

stick, as we frequently roll silks. Such was this represented,

which was sealed with seven seals. Not as if the apostle saw

all the seals at once; for there were seven volumes wrapped up

one within another, each of which was sealed: so that upon

opening and unrolling the first, the second appeared to be

sealed up till that was opened, and so on to the seventh. The

book and its seals represent all power in heaven and earth given

to Christ. A copy of this book is contained in the following

chapters. By "the trumpets," contained under the seventh seal,

the kingdom of the world is shaken, that it may at length become

the kingdom of Christ. By "the vials," under the seventh

trumpet, the power of the beast, and whatsoever is connected

with it, is broken. This sum of all we should have continually

before our eyes: so the whole Revelation flows in its natural

order.

Verse 2. And I saw a strong angel-This proclamation to every

creature was too great for a man to make, and yet not becoming

the Lamb himself. It was therefore made by an angel, and one

of uncommon eminence.

Verse 3. And none-No creature; no, not Mary herself. In heaven,

or in earth, neither under the earth-That is, none in the

universe. For these are the three great regions into which the

whole creation is divided. Was able to open the book-To declare

the counsels of God. Nor to look thereon-So as to understand

any part of it.

Verse 4. And I wept much-A weeping which sprung from greatness

of mind. The tenderness of heart which he always had appeared

more clearly now he was out of his own power. The Revelation

was not written without tears; neither without tears will it be

understood. How far are they from the temper of St. John who

inquire after anything rather than the contents of this book!

yea, who applaud their own clemency if they excuse those that

do inquire into them!

Verse 5. And one of the elders-Probably one of those who rose

with Christ, and afterwards ascended into heaven. Perhaps one of

the patriarchs. Some think it was Jacob, from whose prophecy

the name of Lion is given him, # Gen 49:9.

The Lion of the tribe of Judah-The victorious prince who is, like

a lion, able to tear all his enemies in pieces. The root of

David-As God, the root and source of David's family,

# Isa 11:1,10.

Hath prevailed to open the book-Hath overcome all obstructions,

and obtained the honour to disclose the divine counsels.

Verse 6. And I saw-First, Christ in or on the midst of the

throne; secondly, the four living creatures making the inner

circle round him; and, thirdly, the four and twenty elders

making a larger circle round him and them. Standing-He lieth

no more; he no more falls on his face; the days of his weakness

and mourning are ended. He is now in a posture of readiness to

execute all his offices of prophet, priest, and king. As if he

had been slain-Doubtless with the prints of the wounds which he

once received. And because he was slain, he is worthy to open

the book, verse 9, # Rev 5:9 to the joy of his own people, and

the terror of his enemies. Having seven horns-As a king, the

emblem of perfect strength. And seven eyes-The emblem of perfect

knowledge and wisdom. By these he accomplishes what is contained

in the book, namely, by his almighty and all-wise Spirit. To

these seven horns and seven eyes answer the seven seals and the

sevenfold song of praise, verse 12. # Rev 5:12 In Zechariah,

likewise, iii. 9, iv. 10, # Zech 3:9, Zech 4:10 mention is made

of "the seven eyes of the Lord, which go forth over all the

earth." Which-Both the horns and the eyes. Are the seven

spirits of God sent forth into all the earth-For the effectual

working of the Spirit of God goes through the whole creation;

and that in the natural, as well as spiritual, world. For could

mere matter act or move? Could it gravitate or attract? Just

as much as it can think or speak.

Verse 7. And he came-Here was "Ask of me,"

# Psa 2:8, fulfilled in the most glorious manner.

And took-it is one state of exaltation that reaches from our

Lord's ascension to his coming in glory. Yet this state admits of

various degrees. At his ascension, "angels, and principalities,

and powers were subjected to him." Ten days after, he received

from the Father and sent the Holy Ghost. And now he took the

book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne-who

gave it him as a signal of his delivering to him all power in

heaven and earth. He received it, in token of his being both

able and willing to fulfil all that was written therein.

Verse 8. And when he took the book, the four living creatures

fell down-Now is homage done to the Lamb by every creature.

These, together with the elders, make the beginning; and

afterward, # Rev 5:14, the conclusion. They are together

surrounded with a multitude of angels, # Rev 5:11, and together

sing the new song, as they had before praised God together,

# Rev 4:8, &c.

Having every one-The elders, not the living creatures. An

harp-Which was one of the chief instruments used for thanksgiving

in the temple service: a fit emblem of the melody of their hearts.

And golden phials-Cups or censers. Full of incense, which are the

prayers of the saints-Not of the elders themselves, but of

the other saints still upon earth, whose prayers were thus

emblematically represented in heaven.

Verse 9. And they sing a new song-One which neither they nor

any other had sung before. Thou hast redeemed us-So the living

creatures also were of the number of the redeemed. This does

not so much refer to the act of redemption, which was long

before, as to the fruit of it; and so more directly to those who

had finished their course, "who were redeemed from the earth,"

# Rev 14:1,

out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation-That is,

out of all mankind.

Verse 10. And hast made them-The redeemed. So they speak of

themselves also in the third person, out of deep self-abasement.

They shall reign over the earth-The new earth: herewith agree

the golden crowns of the elders. The reign of the saints in

general follows, under the trumpet of the seventh angel;

particularly after the first resurrection, as also in eternity,

# Rev 11:18;15:7;20:4;22:5;Dan 7:27;Psa 49:14.

Verse 11. And I saw-The many angels. And heard-The voice and

the number of them. Round about the elders-So forming the third

circle. It is remarkable, that men are represented through this

whole vision as nearer to God than any of the angels. And

the number of them was-At least two hundred millions, and two

millions over. And yet these were but a part of the holy

angels. Afterward, # Rev 7:11, St. John heard them all.

Verse 12. Worthy is the Lamb-The elders said,

# Rev 5:9, "Worthy art thou." They were more nearly allied to

him than the angels. To receive the power, &c.-This sevenfold

applause answers the seven seals, of which the four former

describe all visible, the latter all invisible, things, made

subject to the Lamb. And every one of these seven words bears

a resemblance to the seal which it answers.

Verse 13. And every creature-In the whole universe, good or bad.

In the heaven, on the earth, under the earth, on the sea-With

these four regions of the world, agrees the fourfold word of

praise. What is in heaven, says blessing; what is on earth,

honour; what is under the earth, glory: what is on the sea,

strength; is unto him. This praise from all creatures begins

before the opening of the first seal; but it continues from

that time to eternity, according to the capacity of each. His

enemies must acknowledge his glory; but those in heaven say,

Blessed be God and the Lamb.

This royal manifesto is, as it were, a proclamation, showing

how Christ fulfils all things, and "every knee bows to him,"

not only on earth, but also in heaven, and under the earth.

This book exhausts all things, # 1Cor 15:27,28, and is

suitable to an heart enlarged as the sand of the sea. It

inspires the attentive and intelligent reader with such a

magnanimity, that he accounts nothing in this world great; no,

not the whole frame of visible nature, compared to the immense

greatness of what he is here called to behold, yea, and in part,

to inherit.

St. John has in view, through the whole following vision, what

he has been now describing, namely, the four living creatures,

the elders, the angels, and all creatures, looking together at

the opening of the seven seals.

CHAP. VI. The seven seals are not distinguished from each other

by specifying the time of them. They swiftly follow the letters

to the seven churches, and all begin almost at the same time.

By the four former is shown, that all the public occurrences of

all ages and nations, as empire, war, provision, calamities, are

made subject to Christ. And instances are intimated of the

first in the east, the second in the west, the third in the

south, the fourth in the north and the whole world.

The contents, as of the phials and trumpets, so of the seals,

are shown by the songs of praise and thanksgiving annexed to

them. They contain therefore "the power, and riches, and

wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing,"

which the Lamb received. The four former have a peculiar

connexion with each other; and so have the three latter seals.

The former relate to visible things, toward the four quarters

to which the four living creatures look.

Before we proceed, it may be observed,

1. No man should constrain either himself or another to explain

everything in this book. It is sufficient for every one to speak

just so far as he understands.

2. We should remember that, although the ancient prophets wrote

the occurrences of those kingdoms only with which Israel had to

do, yet the Revelation contains what relates to the whole world,

through which the Christian church is extended. Yet,

3. We should not prescribe to this prophecy, as if it must needs

admit or exclude this or that history, according as we judge one

or the other to be of great or small importance. "God seeth not

as a man seeth;" therefore what we think great is often omitted,

what we think little inserted, in scripture history or prophecy.

4. We must take care not to overlook what is already fulfilled;

and not to describe as fulfilled what is still to come.

We are to look in history for the fulfilling of the four first

seals, quickly after the date of the prophecy. In each of these

appears a different horseman. In each we are to consider,

first, the horseman himself; secondly, what he does.

The horseman himself, by an emblematical prosopopoeia,

represents a swift power, bringing with it either,

1. A flourishing state; or,

2. Bloodshed; or,

3. Scarcity of provisions; or,

4. Public calamities.

With the quality of each of these riders the colour of his horse

agrees. The fourth horseman is expressly termed "death;" the

first, with his bow and crown, "a conqueror;" the second, with

his great sword, is a warrior, or, as the Roman termed him,

Mars; the third, with the scales, has power over the produce of

the land. Particular incidents under this or that Roman emperor

are not extensive enough to answer any of these horsemen.

The action of every horseman intimates farther,

1. Toward the east, wide spread empire, and victory upon victory:

2. Toward the west, much bloodshed:

3. Toward the south, scarcity of provisions:

4. Toward the north, the plague and various calamities.

Verse 1. I heard one-That is, the first. Of the living

creatures-Who looks forward toward the east.

Verse 2. And I saw, and behold a white horse, and he that sat

on him had a bow-This colour, and the bow shooting arrows afar

off, betoken victory, triumph, prosperity, enlargement of

empire, and dominion over many people.

Another horseman, indeed, and of quite another kind, appears on

a white horse, # Rev 19:11. But he that is spoken of under the

first seal must be so understood as to bear a proportion to the

horsemen in the second, third, and fourth seal.

Nerva succeeded the emperor Domitian at the very time when the

Revelation was written, in the year of our Lord 96. He reigned

scarce a year alone; and three months before his death he named

Trajan for his colleague and successor, and died in the year 98.

Trajan's accession to the empire seems to be the dawning of the

seven seals. And a crown was given him-This, considering his

descent, Trajan could have no hope of attaining. But God gave

it him by the hand of Nerva; and then the east soon felt his

power. And he went forth conquering and to conquer-That is,

from one victory to another. In the year 108 the already

victorious Trajan went forth toward the east, to conquer not only

Armenia, Assyria, and Mesopotamia, but also the countries beyond

the Tigris, carrying the bounds of the Roman empire to a far

greater extent than ever. We find no emperor like him for making

conquests. He aimed at nothing else; he lived only to conquer.

Meantime, in him was eminently fulfilled what had been prophesied

of the fourth empire, # Dan 2:40, 7:23, that he should "devour,

tread down, and break in pieces the whole earth."

Verse 3. And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the

second living creature-Who looked toward the west. Saying,

Come-At each seal it was necessary to turn toward that quarter

of the world which it more immediately concerned.

Verse 4. There went forth another horse that was red-A colour

suitable to bloodshed. And to him that sat thereon it was given

to take peace from the earth-Vespasian, in the year 75, had

dedicated a temple to Peace; but after a time we hear little

more of peace. All is full of war and bloodshed, chiefly in the

western world, where the main business of men seemed to be, to

kill one another.

To this horseman there was given a great sword; and he had much

to do with it; for as soon as Trajan ascended the throne, peace

was taken from the earth. Decebalus, king of Dacia, which lies

westward from Patmos, put the Romans to no small trouble. The

war lasted five years, and consumed abundance of men on both

sides; yet was only a prelude to much other bloodshed, which

followed for a long season. All this was signified by the great

sword, which strikes those who are near, as the bow does those

who are at a distance.

Verse 5. And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the

third living creature-Toward the south. Saying, Come. And

behold a black horse-A fit emblem of mourning and distress;

particularly of black famine, as the ancient poets term it.

And he that sat on him had a pair of scales in his hand-When

there is great plenty, men scarce think it worth their while

to weigh and measure everything, # Gen 41:49. But when there

is scarcity, they are obliged to deliver them out by measure

and weight, # Eze 4:16. Accordingly, these scales signify

scarcity. They serve also for a token, that all the fruits

of the earth, and consequently the whole heavens, with their

courses and influences; that all the seasons of the year, with

whatsoever they produce, in nature or states, are subject to

Christ. Accordingly his hand is wonderful, not only in wars

and victories, but likewise in the whole course of nature.

Verse 6. And I heard a voice-It seems, from God himself.

Saying-To the horseman, "Hitherto shalt thou come, and no

farther." Let there be a measure of wheat for a penny-The word

translated measure, was a Grecian measure, nearly equal to our

quart. This was the daily allowance of a slave. The Roman

penny, as much as a labourer then earned in a day, was about

sevenpence halfpenny English. According to this, wheat would

be near twenty shillings per bushel. This must have been

fulfilled while the Grecian measure and the Roman money were

still in use; as also where that measure was the common measure,

and this money the current coin. It was so in Egypt under

Trajan. And three measures of barley for a penny-Either barley

was, in common, far cheaper among the ancients than wheat, or

the prophecy mentions this as something peculiar. And hurt not

the oil and the wine-Let there not be a scarcity of everything.

Let there he some provision left to supply the want of the rest

This was also fulfilled in the reign of Trajan, especially in

Egypt, which lay southward from Patmos. In this country, which

used to be the granary of the empire, there was an uncommon

dearth at the very beginning of his reign; so that he was

obliged to supply Egypt itself with corn from other countries.

The same scarcity there was in the thirteenth year of his reign,

the harvest failing for want of the rising of the Nile: and that

not only in Egypt, but in all those other parts of Afric, where

the Nile uses to overflow.

Verse 7. I heard the voice of the fourth living creature-Toward

the north.

Verse 8. And I saw, and behold a pale horse-Suitable to pale

death, his rider. And hades-The representative of the state

of separate souls. Followeth even with him-The four first seals

concern living men. Death therefore is properly introduced.

Hades is only occasionally mentioned as a companion of death.

So the fourth seal reaches to the borders of things invisible,

which are comprised in the three last seals. And power was

given to him over the fourth part of the earth-What came single

and in a lower degree before, comes now together, and much more

severely. The first seal brought victory with it: in the second

was "a great sword;" but here a scimitar. In the third was

moderate dearth; here famine, and plague, and wild beasts

beside. And it may well be, that from the time of Trajan

downwards, the fourth part of men upon the earth, that is,

within the Roman empire, died by sword, famine, pestilence,

and wild beasts. "At that time," says Aurelius Victor, "the

Tyber overflowed much more fatally than under Nerva, with a

great destruction of houses and there was a dreadful earthquake

through many provinces, and a terrible plague and famine, and

many places consumed by fire." By death-That is, by pestilence

wild beasts have, at several times, destroyed abundance of men;

and undoubtedly there was given them, at this time, an uncommon

fierceness and strength. It is observable that war brings on

scarcity, and scarcity pestilence, through want of wholesome

sustenance; and pestilence, by depopulating the country, leaves

the few survivors an easier prey to the wild beasts. And thus

these judgments make way for one another in the order wherein

they are here represented.

What has been already observed may be a fourfold proof that the

four horsemen, as with their first entrance in the reign of

Trajan, (which does by no means exhaust the contents of the four

first seals,) so with all their entrances in succeeding ages,

and with the whole course of the world and of visible nature,

are in all ages subject to Christ, subsisting by his power, and

serving his will, against the wicked, and in defence of the

righteous. Herewith, likewise, a way is paved for the trumpets

which regularly succeed each other; and the whole prophecy, as

to what is future, is confirmed by the clear accomplishment of

this part of it.

Verse 9. And when he opened the fifth seal-As the four former

seals, so the three latter, have a close connexion with each

other. These all refer to the invisible world; the fifth, to

the happy dead, particularly the martyrs; the sixth, to the

unhappy; the seventh, to the angels, especially those to whom

the trumpets are given. And I saw-Not only the church warring

under Christ, and the world warring under Satan; but also the

invisible hosts, both of heaven and hell, are described in this

book. And it not only describes the actions of both these

armies upon earth; but their respective removals from earth,

into a more happy or more miserable state, succeeding each other

at several times, distinguished by various degrees, celebrated

by various thanksgivings; and also the gradual increase of

expectation and triumph in heaven, and of terror and misery in

hell. Under the altar-That is, at the foot of it. Two altars

are mentioned in the Revelation, "the golden altar" of incense,

# Rev 9:13; and the altar of burnt-offerings, mentioned here,

and # Rev 8:5, 14:18, 16:7. At this the souls of the martyrs

now prostrate themselves. By and by their blood shall be avenged

upon Babylon; but not yet, whence it appears that the plagues in

the fourth seal do not concern Rome in particular.

Verse 10. And they cried-This cry did not begin now, but under

the first Roman persecution. The Romans themselves had already

avenged the martyrs slain by the Jews on that whole nation. How

long-They knew their blood would be avenged; but not immediately,

as is now shown them. O Lord-The Greek word properly signifies

the master of a family: it is therefore beautifully used by

these, who are peculiarly of the household of God. Thou Holy

One and true-Both the holiness and truth of God require him to

execute judgment and vengeance. Dost thou not judge and avenge

our blood?-There is no impure affection in heaven: therefore,

this desire of theirs is pure and suitable to the will of God.

The martyrs are concerned for the praise of their Master, of his

holiness and truth: and the praise is given him, # Rev 19:2,

where the prayer of the martyrs is changed into a thanksgiving:-

Thou holy One and true: "True and right are thy judgments."

How long dost thou not judge "He hath judged the great whore,

and avenge our blood? and hath avenged the blood of

his servants."

Verse 11. And there was given to every one a white robe-An

emblem of innocence, joy, and victory, in token of honour

and favourable acceptance. And it was said to them-They were

told how long. They were not left in that uncertainty. That

they should rest-Should cease from crying. They rested from

pain before. A time-This word has a peculiar meaning in this

book, to denote which, we may retain the original word chronos.

Here are two classes of martyrs specified, the former killed

under heathen Rome, the latter, under papal Rome. The former

are commanded to rest till the latter are added to them.

There were many of the former in the days of John: the first

fruits of the latter died in the thirteenth century. Now, a

time, or chronos, is 1111 years. This chronos began A. C. 98,

and continued to the year 1209; or from Trajan's persecution,

to the first crusade against the Waldenses. Till-It is not

said, Immediately after this time is expired, vengeance shall

be executed; but only, that immediately after this time their

brethren and fellowservants will come to them. This event

will precede the other; and there will be some space between.

Verse 12. And I saw-This sixth seal seems particularly to point

out God's judgment on the wicked departed. St. John saw how the

end of the world was even then set before those unhappy spirits.

This representation might be made to them, without anything of

it being perceived upon earth. The like representation is made

in heaven, # Rev 11:18.

And there was a great earthquake-Or shaking, not of the earth

only, but the heavens. This is a farther description of the

representation made to those unhappy souls.

Verse 13. And the stars fell to, or towards, the earth-Yea, and

so they surely will, let astronomers fix their magnitude as they

please. As a fig tree casteth its untimely figs, when it is

shaken by a mighty wind-How sublimely is the violence of that

shaking expressed by this comparison!

Verse 14. And the heavens departed as a book that is rolled

together-When the scripture compares some very great with a

little thing, the majesty and omnipotence of God, before whom

great things are little, is highly exalted. Every mountain

and island-What a mountain is to the land, that an island is

to the sea.

Verse 15. And the kings of the earth-They who had been so in

their day. And the great men and chief captains-The generals

and nobles. Hid themselves-So far as in them lay. In the rocks

of the mountains-There are also rocks on the plains; but they

were rocks on high, which they besought to fall upon them.

Verse 16. To the mountains and the rocks-Which were tottering

already, verse 12. # Rev 6:12

Hide us from the face of him-Which "is against the ungodly,"

# Psalm 34:16.

Verse 1. And after these things-What follows is a preparation

for the seventh seal, which is the weightiest of all. It is

connected with the sixth by the particle and; whereas what is

added, verse 9, # Rev 6:9 stands free and unconnected.

I saw four angels-Probably evil ones. They have their employ

with the four first trumpets, as have other evil angels with the

three last; namely, the angel of the abyss, the four bound in the

Euphrates, and Satan himself. These four angels would willingly

have brought on all the calamities that follow without delay.

But they were restrained till the servants of God were sealed,

and till the seven angels were ready to sound: even as the angel

of the abyss was not let loose, nor the angels in the Euphrates

unbound, neither Satan cast to the earth, till the fifth, sixth,

and seventh angels severally sounded. Standing on the four

corners of the earth-East, west, south, north. In this order

proceed the four first trumpets. Holding the four winds-Which

else might have softened the fiery heat, under the first, second,

and third trumpet. That the wind should not blow upon the

earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree-It seems, that these

expressions betoken the several quarters of the world; that

the earth signifies that to the east of Patmos, Asia, which

was nearest to St. John, and where the trumpet of the first

angel had its accomplishment. Europe swims in the sea over

against this; and is accordingly termed by the prophets,

"the islands." The third part, Afric, seems to be meant,

# Rev 8:7,8,10, by "the streams of water," or "the trees,"

which grow plentifully by them.

Verse 2. And I saw another (a good) angel ascending from the

east-The plagues begin in the east; so does the sealing. Having

the seal of the only living and true God: and he cried with a

loud voice to the four angels-Who were hasting to execute their

charge. To whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea

-First, and afterwards "the trees."

Verse 3. Hurt not the earth, till we-Other angels were joined in

commission with him. Have sealed the servants of our God on

their foreheads-Secured the servants of God of the twelve tribes

from the impending calamities; whereby they shall be as clearly

distinguished from the rest, as if they were visibly marked on

their foreheads.

Verse 4. Of the children of Israel-To these will afterwards be

joined a multitude out of all nations. But it may be observed,

this is not the number of all the Israelites who are saved from

Abraham or Moses to the end of all things; but only of those

who were secured from the plagues which were then ready to fall

on the earth. It seems as if this book had, in many places, a

special view to the people of Israel.

Verse 5. Judah is mentioned first, in respect of the kingdom,

and of the Messiah sprung therefrom.

Verse 7. After the Levitical ceremonies were abolished, Levi

was again on a level with his brethren.

Verse 8. Of the tribe of Joseph-Or Ephraim; perhaps not

mentioned by name, as having been, with Dan, the most

idolatrous of all the tribes. It is farther observable of

Dan, that it was very early reduced to a single family;

which family itself seems to have been cut off in war,

before the time of Ezra; for in the Chronicles, where the

posterity of the patriarchs is recited, Dan is wholly omitted.

Verse 9. A great multitude-Of those who had happily finished

their course. Such multitudes are afterwards described, and

still higher degrees of glory which they attain after a sharp

fight and magnificent victory, # Rev 14:1; 15:2; 19:1; 20:4.

There is an inconceivable variety in the degrees of reward in

the other world. Let not any slothful one say, "If I get to

heaven at all, I will be content:" such an one may let heaven

go altogether. In worldly things, men are ambitious to get as

high as they can. Christians have a far more noble ambition.

The difference between the very highest and the lowest state in

the world is nothing to the smallest difference between the

degrees of glory. But who has time to think of this? Who is at

all concerned about it? Standing before the throne-In the full

vision of God. And palms in their hands-Tokens of joy and

victory.

Verse 10. Salvation to our God-Who hath saved us from all evil

into all the happiness of heaven. The salvation for which they

praise God is described, verse 15; # Rev 7:15 that for which

they praise the Lamb, verse 14; # Rev 7:14 and both, in the

sixteenth and seventeenth verses. # Rev 7:16,17

Verse 11. And all the angels stood-In waiting. Round about

the throne, and the elders and the four living creatures-That

is, the living creatures, next the throne; the elders, round

these; and the angels, round them both. And they fell on

their faces-So do the elders, once only,

# Rev 11:16. The heavenly ceremonial has its fixed order and

measure.

Verse 12. Amen-With this word all the angels confirm the words

of the "great multitude;" but they likewise carry the praise

much higher. The blessing, and the glory, and the wisdom,

and the thanksgiving, and the honour, and the power, and the

strength, be unto our God for ever and ever-Before the Lamb

began to open the seven seals, a sevenfold hymn of praise was

brought him by many angels, # Rev 5:12. Now he is upon opening

the last seal, and the seven angels are going to receive seven

trumpets, in order to make the kingdoms of the world subject to

God. All the angels give sevenfold praise to God.

Verse 13. And one of the elders-What stands, verses 13-17,

# Rev 7:13-17 might have immediately followed the tenth verse;

but that the praise of the angels, which was at the same time

with that of the "great multitude," came in between. Answered

-He answered St. John's desire to know, not any words that he

spoke.

Verse 14. My lord-Or, my master; a common term of respect. So

Zechariah, likewise, bespeaks the angel, # Zec 1:9; 4:4; 6:4.

Thou knowest-That is, I know not; but thou dost. These are they

-Not martyrs; for these are not such a multitude as no man can

number. But as all the angels appear here, so do all the souls

of the righteous who had lived from the beginning of the world.

Who come-He does not say, who did come; but, who come now also:

to whom, likewise, pertain all who will come hereafter. Out of

great affliction-Of various kinds, wisely and graciously

allotted by God to all his children. And have washed their robes

-From all guilt. And made them white-In all holiness. By the

blood of the Lamb-Which not only cleanses, but adorns us also.

Verse 15. Therefore-Because they came out of great affliction,

and have washed their robes in his blood. Are they before the

throne-It seems, even nearer than the angels. And serve him day

and night-Speaking after the manner of men; that is, continually.

In his temple-Which is in heaven. And he shall have his tent

over them-Shall spread his glory over them as a covering.

Verse 16. Neither shall the sun light on them-For God is there

their sun. Nor any painful heat, or inclemency of seasons.

Verse 17. For the Lamb will feed them-With eternal peace and

joy; so that they shall hunger no more. And will lead them

to living fountains of water-The comforts of the Holy Ghost;

so that they shall thirst no more. Neither shall they suffer

or grieve any more; for God "will wipe away all tears from

their eyes."

Verse 1. And when he had opened the seventh seal, there was

silence in heaven-Such a silence is mentioned but in this one

place. It was uncommon, and highly observable: for praise is

sounding in heaven day and night. In particular, immediately

before this silence, all the angels, and before them the

innumerable multitude, had been crying with a loud voice; and

now all is still at once: there is an universal pause. Hereby

the seventh seal is very remarkably distinguished from the six

preceding. This silence before God shows that those who were

round about him were expecting, with the deepest reverence, the

great things which the Divine Majesty would farther open and

order. Immediately after, the seven trumpets are heard, and a

sound more august than ever. Silence is only a preparation:

the grand point is, the sounding the trumpets to the praise of

God. About half an hour-To St. John, in the vision, it might

seem a common half hour.

Verse 2. And I saw-The seven trumpets belong to the seventh

seal, as do the seven phials to the seventh trumpet. This

should be carefully remembered, that we may not confound

together the times which follow each other. And yet it may be

observed, in general, concerning the times of the incidents

mentioned in this book, it is not a certain rule, that every

part of the text is fully accomplished before the completion

of the following part begins. All things mentioned in the

epistles are not full accomplished before the seals are opened;

neither are all things mentioned under the seals fulfilled before

the trumpets begin; nor yet is the seventh trumpet wholly past

before the phials are poured out. Only the beginning of each part

goes before the beginning of the following. Thus the epistles

begin before the seals, the seals before the trumpets, the

trumpets before the phials. One epistle begins before another,

one seal before another, one trumpet especially before another,

one phial before another. Yet, sometimes, what begins later

than another thing ends sooner; and what begins earlier than

another thing ends later: so the seventh trumpet begins earlier

than the phials, and yet extends beyond them all. The seven

angels which stood before God-A character of the highest

eminence. And seven trumpets were given them.-When men desire

to make known openly a thing of public concern, they give a token

that may be seen or heard far and wide; and, among such, none

are more ancient than trumpets, # Lev 25:9; Num 10:2; Amos 3:6.

The Israelites, in particular, used them, both in the worship

of God and in war; therewith openly praising the power of God

before, after, and in, the battle, # Jos 6:4; 2Ch 13:14, &c.

And the angels here made known by these trumpets the wonderful

works of God, whereby all opposing powers are successively

shaken, till the kingdom of the world becomes the kingdom of

God and his Anointed.

These trumpets reach nearly from the time of St. John to the end

of the world; and they are distinguished by manifest tokens. The

place of the four first is specified; namely, east, west, south,

and north successively: in the three last, immediately after the

time of each, the place likewise is pointed out.

The seventh angel did not begin to sound, till after the going

forth of the second woe: but the trumpets were given to him

and the other six together; (as were afterward the phials to

the seven angels;) and it is accordingly said of all the seven

together, that "they prepared themselves to sound." These,

therefore, were not men, as some have thought, but angels,

properly so called.

Verse 3. And-In the second verse,

# Rev 7:2 the "trumpets were given" to the seven angels; and

in the sixth, # Rev 7:6 they "prepared to sound." But between

these, the incense of this angel and the prayers of the saints

are mentioned; the interposing of which shows, that the prayers

of the saints and the trumpets of the angels go together: and

these prayers, with the effects of them, may well be supposed to

extend through all the seven. Another angel-Another created

angel. Such are all that are here spoken of. In this part of

the Revelation, Christ is never termed an angel; but, "the

Lamb." Came and stood at the altar-Of burnt-offerings. And

there was given him a golden censer-A censer was a cup on a

plate or saucer. This was the token and the business of the

office. And much incense was given-Incense generally signifies

prayer: here it signifies the longing desires of the angels, that

the holy counsel of God might be fulfilled. And there was much

incense; for as the prayers of all the saints in heaven and earth

are here joined together: so are the desires of all the angels

which are brought by this angel. That he might place it-It is

not said, offer it; for he was discharging the office of an

angel, not a priest. With the prayers of all the saints-At

the same time; but not for the saints. The angels are

fellowservants with the saints, not mediators for them.

Verse 4. And the smoke of the incense came up before God, with

the prayers of the saints-A token that both were accepted.

Verse 5. And there were thunderings, and lightnings, and

voices, and an earthquake-These, especially when attended

with fire, are emblems of God's dreadful judgments, which

are immediately to follow.

Verse 6. And the seven angels prepared themselves to sound-That

each, when it should come to his turn, might sound without delay.

But while they do sound, they still stand before God.

Verse 7. And the first sounded-And every angel continued to

sound, till all which his trumpet brought was fulfilled and till

the next began. There are intervals between the three woes, but

not between the four first trumpets. And there was hail and

fire mingled with blood, and there were cast upon the earth-The

earth seems to mean Asia; Palestine, in particular. Quickly

after the Revelation was given, the Jewish calamities under

Adrian began: yea, before the reign of Trajan was ended. And

here the trumpets begin. Even under Trajan, in the year 114,

the Jews made an insurrection with a most dreadful fury; and in

the parts about Cyrene, in Egypt, and in Cyprus, destroyed four

hundred and sixty thousand persons. But they were repressed by

the victorious power of Trajan, and afterward slaughtered

themselves in vast multitudes. The alarm spread itself also

into Mesopotamia, where Lucius Quintius slew a great number of

them. They rose in Judea again in the second year of Adrian;

but were presently quelled. Yet in 133 they broke out more

violently than ever, under their false messiah Barcochab; and

the war continued till the year 135, when almost all Judea was

desolated. In the Egyptian plague also hail and fire were

together. But here hail is to be taken figuratively, as also

blood, for a vehement, sudden, powerful, hurtful invasion; and

fire betokens the revenge of an enraged enemy, with the

desolation therefrom. And they were cast upon the earth-That

is, the fire and hail and blood. But they existed before they

were cast upon the earth. The storm fell, the blood flowed, and

the flames raged round Cyrene, and in Egypt, and Cyprus, before

they reached Mesopotamia and Judea. And the third part of the

earth was burnt up-Fifty well-fortified cities, and nine

hundred and eighty-five well-inhabited towns of the Jews, were

wholly destroyed in this war. Vast tracts of land were likewise

left desolate and without inhabitant. And the third part of the

trees was burned up, and all the green grass was burned up-Some

understand by the trees, men of eminence among the Jews; by the

grass, the common people. The Romans spared many of the former:

the latter were almost all destroyed.

Thus vengeance began at the Jewish enemies of Christ's kingdom;

though even then the Romans did not quite escape. But afterwards

it came upon them more and more violently: the second trumpet

affects the Roman heathens in particular; the third, the dead,

unholy Christians; the fourth, the empire itself.

Verse 8. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great

mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea-By the sea,

particularly as it is here opposed to the earth, we may

understand the west, or Europe; and chiefly the middle parts of

it, the vast Roman empire. A mountain here seems to signify a

great force and multitude of people. # Jer 51:25; so this may

point at the irruption of the barbarous nations into the Roman

empire. The warlike Goths broke in upon it about the year 250:

and from that time the irruption of one nation after another

never ceased till the very form of the Roman empire, and all but

the name, was lost. The fire may mean the fire of war, and the

rage of those savage nations. And the third part of the sea

became blood-This need not imply, that just a third part of the

Romans was slain; but it is certain an inconceivable deal of

blood was shed in all these invasions.

Verse 9. And the third part of the creatures that were in the

sea-That is, of all sorts of men, of every station and degree.

Died-By those merciless invaders. And the third part of the

ships were destroyed-It is a frequent thing to resemble a state

or republic to a ship, wherein many people are embarked together,

and share in the same dangers. And how many states were utterly

destroyed by those inhuman conquerors! Much likewise of this was

literally fulfilled. How often was the sea tinged with blood!

How many of those who dwelt mostly upon it were killed!

And what number of ships destroyed!

Verse 10. And the third angel sounded, and there fell from

heaven a great star, and it fell on the third part of the

rivers -It seems Afric is meant by the rivers; (with which this

burning part of the world abounds in an especial manner;) Egypt

in particular, which the Nile overflows every year far and wide.

ln the whole African history, between the irruption of the

barbarous nations into the Roman empire, and the ruin of the

western empire, after the death of Valentinian the Third, there

is nothing more momentous than the Arian calamity, which sprung

up in the year 315. It is not possible to tell how many

persons, particularly at Alexandria, in all Egypt, and in the

neighbouring countries, were destroyed by the rage of the Arians.

Yet Afric fared better than other parts of the empire, with

regard to the barbarous nations, till the governor of it, whose

wife was a zealous Arian, and aunt to Genseric, king of the

Vandals, was, under that pretence, unjustly accused before the

empress Placidia. He was then prevailed upon to invite the

Vandals into Afric; who under Genseric, in the year 428, founded

there a kingdom of their own, which continued till the year 533.

Under these Vandal kings the true believers endured all manner of

afflictions and persecutions. And thus Arianism was the inlet to

all heresies and calamities, and at length to Mahometanism itself.

This great star was not an angel, (angels are not the agents in

the two preceding or the following trumpet,) but a teacher of the

church, one of the stars in the right hand of Christ. Such was

Arius. He fell from on high, as it were from heaven, into the

most pernicious doctrines, and made in his fall a gazing on all

sides, being great, and now burning as a torch. He fell on

the third part of the rivers-His doctrine spread far and wide,

particularly in Egypt. And on the fountains of water-wherewith

Afric abounds.

Verse 11. And the name of the star is called Wormwood-The

unparalleled bitterness both of Arius himself and of his

followers show the exact propriety of his title. And the third

part of the waters became wormwood-A very considerable part of

Afric was infected with the same bitter doctrine and Spirit. And

many men (though not a third part of them) died-By the cruelty of

the Arians.

Verse 12. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the

sun was smitten-Or struck. After the emperor Theodosius died,

and the empire was divided into the eastern and the western, the

barbarous nations poured in as a flood. The Goths and Hunns in

the years 403 and 405 fell upon Italy itself with an impetuous

force; and the former, in the year 410, took Rome by storm, and

plundered it without mercy. In the year 452 Attila treated the

upper part of Italy in the same manner. In 455 Valentinian the

Third was killed, and Genseric invited from Afric. He plundered

Rome for fourteen days together. Recimer plundered it again in

472. During all these commotions, one province was lost after

another, till, in the year 476, Odoacer seized upon Rome,

deposed the emperor, and put an end to the empire itself.

An eclipse of the sun or moon is termed by the Hebrews, a

stroke. Now, as such a darkness does not come all at once, but

by degrees, so likewise did the darkness which fell on the Roman,

particularly the western empire; for the stroke began long before

Odoacer, namely, when the barbarians first conquered the capital

city. And the third part of the moon, and the third part of the

stars; so that the third part of them was darkened-As under the

first, second, and third trumpets by "the earth," "sea, " and

"rivers," are to be understood the men that inhabit them; so here

by the sun, moon, and stars, may be understood the men that live

under them, who are so overwhelmed with calamities in those days

of darkness, that they can no longer enjoy the light of heaven:

unless it may be thought to imply their being killed; so that

the sun, moon, and stars shine to them no longer. The very same

expression we find in # Ezekiel 32:8. "I will darken all the

lights of heaven over them." As then the fourth seal transcends

the three preceding seals, so does the fourth trumpet the three

preceding trumpets. For in this not the third part of the earth,

or sea, or rivers only, but of all who are under the sun, are

affected. And the day shone not for a third part thereof

-That is, shone with only a third part of its usual brightness.

And the night likewise-The moon and stars having lost a third

part of their lustre, either with regard to those who, being dead,

saw them no longer, or those who saw them with no satisfaction.

The three last trumpets have the time of their continuance

fixed, and between each of them there is a remarkable pause:

whereas between the four former there is no pause, nor is the

time of their continuance mentioned; but all together these

four seem to take up a little less than four hundred years.

Verse 13. And I saw, and heard an angel flying-Between the

trumpets of the fourth and fifth angel. In the midst of heaven

-The three woes, as we shall see, stretch themselves over the

earth from Persia eastward, beyond Italy, westward; all which

space had been filled with the gospel by the apostles. In the

midst of this lies Patmos, where St. John saw this angel, saying,

Woe, woe, woe-Toward the end of the fifth century, there were

many presages of approaching calamities. To the inhabitants of

the earth-All without exception. Heavy trials were coming on

them all. Even while the angel was proclaiming this, the

preludes of these three woes were already in motion. These fell

more especially on the Jews. As to the prelude of the first woe

in Persia, Isdegard II., in 454, was resolved to abolish the

sabbath, till he was, by Rabbi Mar, diverted from his purpose.

Likewise in the year 474, Phiruz afflicted the Jews much, and

compelled many of them to apostatize. A prelude of the second

woe was the rise of the Saracens, who, in 510, fell into Arabia

and Palestine. To prepare for the third woe, Innocent I., and

his successors, not only endeavoured to enlarge their episcopal

jurisdiction beyond all bounds, but also their worldly power,

by taking every opportunity of encroaching upon the empire,

which as yet stood in the way of their unlimited monarchy.

Verse 1. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star-Far

different from that mentioned, # Rev 8:11. This star belongs

to the invisible world. The third woe is occasioned by the

dragon cast out of heaven; the second takes place at the loosing

of the four angels who were bound in the Euphrates. The first

is here brought by the angel of the abyss, which is opened by

this star, or holy angel. Falling to the earth-Coming swiftly

and with great force. And to him was given-when he was come.

The key of the bottomless pit-A deep and hideous prison; but

different from "the lake of fire."

Verse 2. And there arose a smoke out of the pit-The locusts, who

afterwards rise out of it, seem to be, as we shall afterwards

see, the Persians; agreeable to which, this smoke is their

detestable idolatrous doctrine, and false zeal for it, which

now broke out in an uncommon paroxysm. As the smoke of a great

furnace-where the clouds of it rise thicker and thicker, spread

far and wide, and press one upon another, so that the darkness

increases continually. And the sun and the air were darkened-A

figurative expression, denoting heavy affliction. This smoke

occasioned more and more such darkness over the Jews in Persia.

Verse 3. And out of the smoke-Not out of the bottomless pit, but

from the smoke which issued thence. There went forth locusts-A

known emblem of a numerous, hostile, hurtful people. Such were

the Persians, from whom the Jews, in the sixth century, suffered

beyond expression. In the year 540 their academies were stopped,

nor were they permitted to have a president for near fifty years.

In 589 this affliction ended; but it began long before 540.

The prelude of it was about the year 455 and 474: the main storm

came on in the reign of Cabades, and lasted from 483 to 532.

Toward the beginning of the sixth century, Mar Rab Isaac,

president of the academy, was put to death. Hereon followed an

insurrection of the Jews, which lasted seven years before they

were conquered by the Persians. Some of them were then put to

death, but not many; the rest were closely imprisoned. And from

this time the nation of the Jews were hated and persecuted by

the Persians, till they had well nigh rooted them out. The

scorpions of the earth-The most hurtful kind. The scorpions of

the air have wings.

Verse 4. And it was commanded them-By the secret power of God.

Not to hurt the grass, neither any green thing, nor any tree

-Neither those of low, middling, or high degree, but only such

of them as were not sealed-Principally the unbelieving

Israelites. But many who were called Christians suffered with

them.

Verse 5. Not to kill them-Very few of them were killed: in

general, they were imprisoned and variously tormented.

Verse 6. The men-That is, the men who are so tormented.

Verse 7. And the appearances-This description suits a people

neither throughly civilized, nor entirely savage; and such were

the Persians of that age. Of the locusts are like horses-With

their riders. The Persians excelled in horsemanship. And on

their heads are as it were crowns-Turbans. And their faces are

as the faces of men-Friendly and agreeable.

Verse 8. And they had hair as the hair of women-All the Persians

of old gloried in long hair. And their teeth were as the teeth

of lions-Breaking and tearing all things in pieces.

Verse 9. And the noise of their wings was as the noise of

chariots of many horses-With their war-chariots, drawn by

many horses, they, as it were, flew to and fro.

Verse 10. And they have tails like scorpions-That is, each tail

is like a scorpion, not like the tail of a scorpion. To hurt

the unsealed men five months-Five prophetic months; that is,

seventy-nine common years So long did these calamities last.

Verse 11. And they have over them a king-One by whom they are

peculiarly directed and governed. His name is Abaddon-Both this

and Apollyon signify a destroyer. By this he is distinguished

from the dragon, whose proper name is Satan.

Verse 12. One woe is past; behold, there come yet two woes after

these things-The Persian power, under which was the first woe,

was now broken by the Saracens: from this time the first pause

made a wide way for the two succeeding woes. In 589, when the

first woe ended, Mahomet was twenty years old, and the

contentions of the Christians with each other were exceeding

great. In 591 Chosroes II. reigned in Persia, who, after the

death of the emperor, made dreadful disturbances in the east,

Hence Mahomet found an open door for his new religion and empire.

And when the usurper Phocas had, in the year 606, not only

declared the Bishop of Rome, Boniface III., universal bishop,

but also the church of Rome the head of all churches, this was

a sure step to advance the Papacy to its utmost height. Thus,

after the passing away of the first woe, the second, yea, and

the third, quickly followed; as indeed they were both on the

way together with it before the first effectually began.

Verse 13. And the sixth angel sounded-Under this angel goes

forth the second woe. And I heard a voice from the four corners

of the golden altar-This golden altar is the heavenly pattern of

the Levitical altar of incense. This voice signified that the

execution of the wrath of God, mentioned verses 20, 21,

# Rev 9:20,21 should, at no intercession, be delayed any longer.

Verse 14. Loose the four angels-To go every way; to the four

quarters. These were evil angels, or they would not have been

bound. Why, or how long, they were bound we know not.

Verse 15. And the four angels were loosed, who were prepared

-By loosing them, as well as by their strength and rage. To

kill the third part of men-That is, an immense number of them.

For the hour, and day, and month, and year-All this agrees with

the slaughter which the Saracens made for a long time after

Mahomet's death. And with the number of angels let loose agrees

the number of their first and most eminent caliphs. These were

Ali, Abubeker, Omar, and Osman. Mahomet named Ali, his cousin

and son-in-law, for his successor; but he was soon worked out

by the rest, till they severally died, and so made room for him.

They succeeded each other, and each destroyed innumerable

multitudes of men. There are in a prophetic

Com. Years. Com. Days.

Hour....... 8

Day............ 196 in all 212 years.

Month........... 15.........318 /

Year............ 196.........117 /

Now, the second woe, as also the beginning of the third, has

its place between the ceasing of the locusts and the rising of

the beast out of the sea, even at the time that the Saracens,

who were chiefly cavalry, were in the height of their carnage;

from their, first caliph, Abubeker, till they were repulsed from

Rome under Leo IV. These 212 years may therefore be reckoned

from the year 634 to 847. The gradation in reckoning the time,

beginning with the hour and ending with a year, corresponds with

their small beginning and vast increase. Before and after

Mahomet's death, they had enough to do to settle their affairs

at home. Afterwards Abubeker went farther, and in the year 634

gained great advantage over the Persians and Romans in Syria.

Under Omar was the conquest of Mesopotamia, Palestine, and Egypt

made. Under Osman, that of Afric, (with the total suppression of

the Roman government in the year 647,) of Cyprus, and of all

Persia in 651. After Ali was dead, his son Ali Hasen, a

peaceable prince, was driven out by Muavia; under whom, and his

successors, the power of the Saracens so increased, that within

fourscore years after Mahomet's death they had extended their

conquests farther than the warlike Romans did in four hundred

years.

Verse 16. And the number of the horsemen was two hundred millions

-Not that so many were ever brought into the field at once, but

(if we understand the expression literally) in the course of "the

hour, and day, and month, and year." So neither were "the third

part of men killed" at once, but during that course of years.

Verse 17. And thus I saw the horses and them that sat on them

in the vision-St. John seems to add these words, in the vision,

to intimate that we are not to take this description just

according to the letter. Having breastplates of fire-Fiery red.

And hyacinth-Dun blue. And brimstone-A faint yellow. Of the

same colour with the fire and smoke and brimstone, which go out

of the months of their horses. And the heads of their horses

are as the heads of lions-That is, fierce and terrible. And

out of their mouth goeth fire and smoke and brimstone-This

figurative expression may denote the consuming, blinding,

all-piercing rage, fierceness, and force of these horsemen.

Verse 18. By these three-Which were inseparably joined.

Were the third part of men-In the countries they over-ran.

Killed-Omar alone, in eleven years and a half, took thirty-six

thousand cities or forts. How many men must be killed therein!

Verse 19. For the power of these horses is in their mouths,

and in their tails-Their riders fight retreating as well as

advancing: so that their rear is as terrible as their front.

For their tails are like serpents, having heads-Not like the

tails of serpents only. They may be fitly compared to the

amphisbena, a kind of serpent, which has a short tail, not

unlike a head from which it throws out its poison as if it

had two heads.

Verse 20. And the rest of the men who were not killed-Whom the

Saracens did not destroy. It is observable, the countries they

over-ran were mostly those where the gospel had been planted.

By these plagues-Here the description of the second woe ends.

Yet repented not-Though they were called Christians. Of the

works of their hands-Presently specified. That they should not

worship devils-The invocation of departed saints, whether true,

or false, or doubtful, or forged, crept early into the Christian

church, and was carried farther and farther; and who knows how

many who are invoked as saints are among evil, not good, angels;

or how far devils have mingled with such blind worship, and with

the wonders wrought on those occasions? And idols-About the

year 590, men began to venerate images; and though upright men

zealously opposed it, yet, by little and little, images grew

into manifest idols. For after much contention, both in the

east and west, in the year 787, the worship of images was

established by the second Council of Nice. Yet was image worship

sharply opposed some time after, by the emperor Theophilus. But

when he died, in 842, his widow, Theodora, established it again;

as did the Council at Constantinople in the year 863, and again

in 871.

Verse 21. Neither repented of their murders, nor of their

sorceries-Whoever reads the histories of the seventh, eighth,

and ninth centuries, will find numberless instances of all these

in every part of the Christian world. But though God cut off so

many of these scandals to the Christian name, yet the rest went

on in the same course. Some of them, however, might repent under

the plagues which follow.

CHAP. X. From the first verse of this chapter to chap. xi. 13,

# Rev 10:1 - Rev 11:13

preparation is made for the important trumpet of the seventh

angel. It consists of two parts, which run parallel to each

other: the former reaches from the first to the seventh verse

# Rev 10:1 - Rev 10:7

of this chapter; the latter, from the eighth of this to the

thirteenth verse of the eleventh chapter: whence, also, the

# Rev 10:8 - Rev 11:13

sixth verse of this chapter is parallel to the eleventh verse.

# Rev 10:6 , Rev 10:11

The period to which both these refer begins during the second

woe, as appears, chap. xi. 14; # Rev 11:14 but, being once

begun, it extends in a continued course far into the trumpet of

the seventh angel. Hence many things are represented here which

are not fulfilled till long after. So the joyful "consummation

of the mystery of God" is spoken of in the seventh verse of this

chapter, which yet is not till after "the consummation of the

wrath of God," # Rev 15:1. So the ascent of the beast "out of

the bottomless pit" is mentioned, # Rev 11:7, which nevertheless

is still to come, # Rev 17:8; and so "the earthquake," by which a

tenth part of the great city falls, and the rest are converted,

# Rev 11:13, is really later than that by which the same city is

"split into three parts," # Rev 16:19. This is a most necessary

observation, whereby we may escape many and great mistakes.

Verse 1. And I saw another mighty angel-Another from that

"mighty angel," mentioned, # Rev 5:2; yet he was a created

angel; for he did not swear by himself, verse 6. # Rev 5:6

Clothed with a cloud-In token of his high dignity. And a

rainbow upon his head-A lovely token of the divine favour. And

yet it is not too glorious for a creature: the woman, # Rev 12:1,

is described more glorious still. And his face as the sun-Nor

is this too much for a creature: for all the righteous "shall shine

forth as the sun," # Matt 13:43.

And his feet as pillars of fire-Bright as flame.

Verse 2. And he had in his hand-His left hand: he swore with

his right. He stood with his right foot on the sea, toward the

west; his left, on the land, toward the east: so that he looked

southward. And so St. John (as Patmos lies near Asia) could

conveniently take the book out of his left hand. This sealed

book was first in the right hand of him that sat on the throne:

thence the Lamb took it, and opened the seals. And now this

little book, containing the remainder of the other, is given

opened, as it was, to St. John. From this place the Revelation

speaks more clearly and less figuratively than before. And he

set his right foot upon the sea-Out of which the first beast was

to come. And his left foot upon the earth-Out of which was to

come the second. The sea may betoken Europe; the earth, Asia;

the chief theatres of these great things.

Verse 3. And he cried-Uttering the words set down, verse 6.

# Rev 10:6

And while he cried, or was crying-At the same instant.

Seven thunders uttered their voices-In distinct words, each

after the other. Those who spoke these words were glorious,

heavenly powers, whose voice was as the loudest thunder.

Verse 4. And I heard a voice from heaven-Doubtless from him who

had at first commanded him to write, and who presently commands

him to take the book; namely, Jesus Christ. Seal up those

things which the seven thunders have uttered, and write them not

-These are the only things of all which he heard that he is

commanded to keep secret: so something peculiarly secret was

revealed to the beloved John, besides all the secrets that are

written in this book. At the same time we are prevented from

inquiring what it was which these thunders uttered: suffice that

we may know all the contents of the opened book, and of the oath

of the angel.

Verse 5. And the angel-This manifestation of things to come under

the trumpet of the seventh angel hath a twofold introduction:

first, the angel speaks for God, verse 7; # Rev 10:7 then

Christ speaks for himself, # Rev 11:3. The angel appeals to the

prophets of former times; Christ, to his own two witnesses. Whom I

saw standing upon the earth and upon the sea, lifted up his right

hand toward heaven-As yet the dragon was in heaven. When he

is cast thence he brings the third and most dreadful woe on the

earth and sea: so that it seems as if there would be no end of

calamities. Therefore the angel comprises, in his posture and in

his oath, both heaven, sea, and earth, and makes on the part of

the eternal God and almighty Creator, a solemn protestation, that

he will assert his kingly authority against all his enemies.

He lifted up his right hand toward heaven-The angel in Daniel,

# Dan 12:7, (not improbably the same angel,) lifted up both

his hands.

Verse 6. And sware-The six preceding trumpets pass without any

such solemnity. It is the trumpet of the seventh angel alone

which is confirmed by so high an oath. By him that liveth for

ever and ever-Before whom a thousand years are but a day. Who

created the heaven, the earth, the sea, and the things that are

therein-And, consequently, has the sovereign power over all:

therefore, all his enemies, though they rage a while in heaven,

on the sea, and on the earth, yet must give place to him. That

there shall be no more a time-"But in the days of the voice of

the seventh angel, the mystery of God shall be fulfilled:" that

is, a time, a chronos, shall not expire before that mystery is

fulfilled. A chronos (1111 years) will nearly pass before then,

but not quite. The period, then, which we may term a non-chronos

(not a whole time) must be a little, and not much, shorter than

this. The non-chronos here mentioned seems to begin in the year

800, (when Charles the Great instituted in the west a new line of

emperors, or of "many kings,") to end in the year 1836; and to

contain, among other things, the "short time" of the third woe,

the "three times and a half" of the woman in the wilderness, and

the "duration" of the beast.

Verse 7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel-Who

sounded not only at the beginning of those days, but from the

beginning to the end. The mystery of God shall be fulfilled-It

is said, # Rev 17:17, "The word of God shall be fulfilled."

The word of God is fulfilled by the destruction of the beast;

the mystery, by the removal of the dragon. But these great

events are so near together, that they are here mentioned as one.

The beginning of them is in heaven, as soon as the seventh

trumpet sounds; the end is on the earth and the sea. So long

as the third woe remains on the earth and the sea, the mystery

of God is not fulfilled. And the angel's swearing is peculiarly

for the comfort of holy men, who are afflicted under that woe.

Indeed the wrath of God must be first fulfilled, by the pouring

out of the phials: and then comes the joyful fulfilling of the

mystery of God. As he hath declared to his servants the

prophets-The accomplishment exactly answering the prediction.

The ancient prophecies relate partly to that grand period, from

the birth of Christ to the destruction of Jerusalem; partly

to the time of the seventh angel, wherein they will be fully

accomplished. To the seventh trumpet belongs all that occurs

from # Rev 11:15 - Rev 22:5. And the third woe, which takes

place under the same, properly stands, # Rev 12:12, 13:1-18.

Verse 8. And-what follows from this verse to chap. xi. 13,

# Rev 11:13 runs parallel with the oath of the angel, and with

"the fulfilling of the mystery of God," as it follows under the

trumpet of the seventh angel; what is said, verse 11,

# Rev 11:11 concerning St. John's "prophesying again," is

unfolded immediately after; what is said, verse 7, # Rev 11:7

concerning "the fulfilling the mystery of God," is unfolded,

Rev. xi. 15-19, # Rev 11:15-19 and in the following chapters.

Verse 9. Eat it up-The like was commanded to Ezekiel. This was

an emblem of thoroughly considering and digesting it. And it

will make thy belly bitter, but it will be sweet as honey in thy

mouth-The sweetness betokens the many good things which follow,

# Rev 11:1,15, &c.; the bitterness, the evils which succeed

under the third woe.

Verse 11. Thou must prophesy again-Of the mystery of God; of

which the ancient prophets had prophesied before. And he did

prophesy, by "measuring the temple," # Rev 11:1; as a prophecy

may be delivered either by words or actions. Concerning people,

and nations, and tongues, and many kings-The people, nations,

and tongues are contemporary; but the kings, being many, succeed

one another. These kings are not mentioned for their own sake,

but with a view to the "holy city," # Rev 11:2. Here is a

reference to the great kingdoms in Spain, England, Italy, &c.,

which arose from the eighth century; or at least underwent a

considerable change, as France and Germany in particular; to the

Christian, afterward Turkish, empire in the east; and especially

to the various potentates, who have successively reigned at or

over Jerusalem, and do now, at least titularly, reign over it.

CHAP. XI. In this chapter is shown how it will fare with "the

holy city," till the mystery of God is fulfilled; in the twelfth,

what will befal the woman, who is delivered of the man-child; in

the thirteenth, how it will be with the kingdom of Christ, while

the "two beasts" are in the height of their power. And there was

given me-By Christ, as appears from the third verse. And he

said, Arise-Probably he was sitting to write. And measure the

temple of God-At Jerusalem, where he was placed in the vision.

Of this we have a large description by Ezekiel,

# Eze 40:1-Eze 48:35; concerning which we may observe,

1. Ezekiel's prophecy was not fulfilled at the return from

the Babylonish captivity.

2. Yet it does not refer to the "New Jerusalem," which is

far more gloriously described.

3. It must infallibly be fulfilled even then "when they are

ashamed of all that they have done," # Eze 43:11.

4. Ezekiel speaks of the same temple which is treated of here.

5. As all things are there so largely described, St. John is

shorter and refers thereto.

Verse 2. But the court which is without the temple-The old

temple had a court in the open air, for the heathens who

worshipped the God of Israel. Cast out-Of thy account.

And measure it not-As not being holy In so high a degree.

And they shall tread-Inhabit. The holy city-Jerusalem,

# Matt 4:5. So they began to do, before St. John wrote. And

it has been trodden almost ever since by the Romans, Persians,

Saracens, and Turks. But that severe kind of treading which is

here peculiarly spoken of, will not be till under the trumpet of

the seventh angel, and toward the end of the troublous times.

This will continue but forty-two common months, or

twelve hundred and sixty common days; being but a small part of

the non-chronos.

Verse 3. And I-Christ. Will give to my two witnesses-These seem

to be two prophets; two select, eminent instruments. Some have

supposed (though without foundation) that they are Moses and

Elijah, whom they resemble in several respects. To prophesy

twelve hundred and sixty days-Common days, that is, an hundred

and eighty weeks. So long will they prophesy, (even while that

last and sharp treading of the holy city continues,) both by

word and deed, witnessing that Jesus is the Son of God, the heir

of all things, and exhorting all men to repent, and fear, and

glorify God. Clothed in sackcloth-The habit of the deepest

mourners, out of sorrow and concern for the people.

Verse 4. These are the two olive trees-That is, as Zerubbabel

and Joshua, the two olive trees spoken of by Zechariah,

# Zec 3:9, 4:10, were then the two chosen instruments in

God's hand, even so shall these. be in their season. Being

themselves full of the unction of the Holy One, they shall

continually transmit the same to others also. And the two

candlesticks-Burning and shining lights. Standing before the

Lord of the earth-Always waiting on God, without the help of

man, and asserting his right over the earth and all things

therein.

Verse 5. If any would kill them-As the Israelites would have

done Moses and Aaron, # Num 16:41.

He must be killed thus-By that devouring fire.

Verse 6. These have power-And they use that power.

See verse 10. # Rev 11:10

To shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophesying

-During those "twelve hundred and sixty days." And have power

over the waters-In and near Jerusalem. To turn them into blood

-As Moses did those in Egypt. And to smite the earth with all

plagues, as often as they will-This is not said of Moses or

Elijah, or any mere man besides. And how is it possible to

understand this otherwise than of two individual persons?

Verse 7. And when they shall have finished their testimony-Till

then they are invincible. The wild beast-Hereafter to be

described. That ascendeth-First out of the sea,

# Rev 13:1, and then out of the bottomless pit, # Rev 17:8.

Shall make war with them-It is at his last ascent, not out of

the sea, but the bottomless pit, that the beast makes war upon

the two witnesses. And even hereby is fixed the time of "treading

the holy city," and of the "two witnesses." That time ends after

the ascent of the beast out of the abyss, and yet before the

fulfilling of the mystery. And shall conquer them-The fire no

longer proceeding out of their mouth when they have finished

their work. And kill them-These will be among the last martyrs,

though not the last of all.

Verse 8. And their bodies shall be-Perhaps hanging on a cross.

In the street of the great city-Of Jerusalem, a far greater

city, than any other in those parts. This is described both

spiritually and historically: spiritually, as it is called

Sodom # Isa 1:9 &c.

and Egypt; on account of the same abominations abounding there,

at the time of the witnesses, as did once in Egypt and Sodom.

Historically: Where also their Lord was crucified-This possibly

refers to the very ground where his cross stood. Constantine the

Great inclosed this within the walls of the city. Perhaps on

that very spot will their bodies be exposed.

Verse 9. Three days and a half-So exactly are the times set

down in this prophecy. If we suppose this time began in the

evening, and ended in the morning, and included (which is no

way impossible) Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, the weekly festival

of the Turkish people, the Jewish tribes, and the Christian

tongues; then all these together, with the heathen nations,

would have full leisure to gaze upon and rejoice over them.

Verse 10. And they that dwell upon the earth-Perhaps this

expression may peculiarly denote earthly-minded men. Shall

make merry-As did the Philistines over Samson. And send

gifts to one another-Both Turks, and Jews, and heathens,

and false Christians.

Verse 11. And great fear fell upon them that saw them-And now

knew that God was on their side.

Verse 12. And I heard a great voice-Designed for all to hear.

And they went up to heaven, and their enemies beheld them-who

had not taken notice of their rising again; by which some had

been convinced before.

Verse 13. And there was a great earthquake and the tenth part

of the city fell-We have here an unanswerable proof that this

city is not Babylon or Rome, but Jerusalem. For Babylon shall

be wholly burned before the fulfilling of the mystery of God.

But this city is not burned at all; on the contrary, at the

fulfilling of that mystery, a tenth part of it is destroyed by

an earthquake, and the other nine parts converted. And there

were slain in the earthquake seven thousand men-Being a tenth

part of the inhabitants, who therefore were seventy thousand

in all. And the rest-The remaining sixty-three thousand were

converted: a grand step toward the fulfilling of the mystery of

God. Such a conversion we no where else read of. So there

shall be a larger as well as holier church at Jerusalem than

ever was yet. Were terrified-Blessed terror! And gave glory

-The character of true conversion, # Jer 13:16.

To the God of heaven-He is styled, "The Lord of the earth,"

verse 4, # Rev 11:4 when he declares his right over the earth

by the two witnesses; but the God of heaven, when he not only

gives rain from heaven after the most afflicting drought, but

also declares his majesty from heaven, by taking his witnesses

up into it. When the whole multitude gives glory to the God

of heaven, then that "treading of the holy city" ceases. This

is the point so long aimed at, the desired "fulfilling of the

mystery of God," when the divine promises are so richly fulfilled

on those who have gone through so great afflictions. All this is

here related together, that whereas the first and second woe went

forth in the east, the rest of the eastern affairs being added

at once, the description of the western might afterwards remain

unbroken.

It may be useful here to see how the things here spoken of, and

those hereafter described, follow each other in their order.

1. The angel swears; the non-chronos begins; John eats the book;

the many kings arise.

2. The non-chronos and the "many kings" being on the decline,

that treading" begins, and the "two witnesses" appear.

3. The beast, after he has with the ten kings destroyed Babylon,

wars with them and kills them. After three days and an half

they revive and ascend to heaven. There is a great earthquake

in the holy city: seven thousand perish, and the rest are

converted. The "treading" of the city by the gentiles ends.

4. The beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies are

assembled to fight against the Great King.

5. Multitudes of his enemies are killed, and the beast and the

false prophet cast alive into the lake of fire.

6. while John measures the temple of God and the altar with the

worshippers, the true worship of God is set up. The nations

who had trodden the holy city are converted. Hereby the

mystery of God is fulfilled.

7. Satan is imprisoned. Being released for a time, he, with

Gog and Magog, makes his last assault upon Jerusalem.

Verse 14. The second woe is past-The butchery made by the

Saracens ceased about the year 847, when their power was so

broken by Charles the Great that they never recovered it.

Behold, the third woe cometh quickly-Its prelude came while the

Roman see took all opportunities of laying claim to its beloved

universality, and enlarging its power and grandeur. And in the

year 755 the bishop of Rome became a secular prince, by king

Pepin's giving him the exarchate of Lombardy. The beginning

of the third woe itself stands, # Rev 12:12.

Verse 15. And the seventh angel sounded-This trumpet contains

the most important and joyful events, and renders all the former

trumpets matter of joy to all the inhabitants of heaven. The

allusion therefore in this and all the trumpets is to those used

in festal solemnities. All these seven trumpets were heard in

heaven: perhaps the seventh shall once be heard on earth also,

# 1Thess 4:16.

And there were great voices-From the several citizens of heaven.

At the opening of the seventh seal "there was silence in heaven;"

at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, great voices. This alone

is sufficient to show that the seven seals and seven trumpets

do not run parallel to each other. As soon as the seventh

angel sounds, the kingdom falls to God and his Christ. This

immediately appears in heaven, and is there celebrated with

joyful praise. But on earth several dreadful occurrences are to

appear first. This trumpet comprises all that follows from these

voices to # Rev 22:5.

The kingdom of the world-That is, the royal government over

the whole world, and all its kingdoms, # Zech 14:9.

Is become the kingdom of the Lord-This province has been in the

enemy's hands: it now returns to its rightful Master. In the Old

Testament, from Moses to Samuel, God himself was the King of his

own people. And the same will be in the New Testament: he will

himself reign over the Israel of God. And of his Christ-This

appellation is now first given him, since the introduction of the

book, on the mention of the kingdom devolving upon him, under the

seventh trumpet. Prophets and priests were anointed, but more

especially kings: whence that term, the anointed, is applied

only to a king. Accordingly, whenever the Messiah is mentioned

in scripture, his kingdom is implied. Is become-In reality,

all things (and so the kingdom of the world) are God's in all

ages: yet Satan and the present world, with its kings and lords,

are risen against the Lord and against his Anointed. God now

puts an end to this monstrous rebellion, and maintains his right

to all things. And this appears in an entirely new manner, as

soon as the seventh angel sounds.

Verse 16. And the four and twenty elders-These

shall reign over the earth, # Rev 5:10.

Who sit before God on their thrones-which we do

not read of any angel.

Verse 17. The Almighty-He who hath all things in his power as

the only Governor of them. Who is, and who was-God is frequently

styled, "He who is, and who was, and who is to come." but now he

is actually come, the words, "who is to come," are, as it were,

swallowed up. When it is said, We thank thee that thou hast

taken thy great power, it is all one as, "We thank thee that

thou art come." This whole thanksgiving is partly an enlargement

on the two great points mentioned in the fifteenth verse;

# Rev 11:15 partly a summary of what is hereafter more

distinctly related. Here it is mentioned, how the kingdom is

the Lord's; afterwards, how it is the kingdom of his Christ.

Thou hast taken thy great power-This is the beginning of what

is done under the trumpet of the seventh angel. God has never

ceased to use his power; but he has suffered his enemies to

oppose it, which he will now suffer no more.

Verse 18. And the heathen nations were wroth-At the breaking

out of the power and kingdom of God. This wrath of the heathens

now rises to the highest pitch; but it meets the wrath of the

Almighty, and melts away. In this verse is described both the

going forth and the end of God's wrath, which together take up

several ages. And the time of the dead is come-Both of the quick

and dead, of whom those already dead are far the more numerous

part. That they be judged-This, being infallibly certain, they

speak of as already present. And to give a reward-At the coming

of Christ, # Rev 22:12; but of free grace, not of debt,

1. To his servants the prophets:

2. To his saints: to them who were eminently holy:

3. To them that fear his name:

these are the lowest class. Those who do not even fear God will

have no reward from him. Small and great-All universally, young

and old, high and low, rich and poor. And to destroy them that

destroyed the earth-The earth was destroyed by the "great whore"

in particular, # Rev 19:2; 17:2,5; but likewise in general,

by the open rage and hate of wicked men against all that is good;

by wars, and the various destruction and desolation naturally

flowing therefrom; by such laws and constitutions as hinder

much good, and occasion many offences and calamities; by public

scandals, whereby a door is opened for all dissoluteness and

unrighteousness; by abuse of secular and spiritual powers; by

evil doctrines, maxims, and counsels; by open violence and

persecution; and by sins crying to God to send plagues upon the

earth.

This great work of God, destroying the destroyers, under the

trumpet of the seventh angel, is not the third woe, but matter

of joy, for which the elders solemnly give thanks. All the woes,

and particularly the third, go forth over those "who dwell upon

the earth;" but this destruction, over those "who destroy the

earth," and were also instruments of that woe.

Verse 19. And the temple of God-The inmost part of it. Was

opened in heaven-And hereby is opened a new scene of the most

momentous things, that we may see how the contents of the

seventh trumpet are executed; and, notwithstanding the greatest

opposition, (particularly by the third woe,) brought to a

glorious conclusion. And the ark of the covenant was seen in

his temple-The ark of the covenant which was made by Moses was

not in the second temple, being probably burnt with the first

temple by the Chaldeans. But here is the heavenly ark of the

everlasting covenant, the shadow of which was under the Old

Testament, # Heb 9:4. The inhabitants of heaven saw the ark

before: St. John also saw it now; for a testimony, that what

God had promised, should be fulfilled to the uttermost. And

there were lightnings, and voices, and thunders, and an

earthquake, and great hail-The very same there are, and in the

same order, when the seventh angel has poured out his phial;

# Rev 16:17-21: one place answers the other. What the trumpet

here denounces in heaven, is there executed by the phial upon

earth. First it is shown what will be done; and afterwards it

is done.

CHAP. XII. The great vision of this book goes straight forward,

from the fourth to the twenty-second chapter. Only the tenth,

with part of the eleventh chapter, was a kind of introduction

to the trumpet of the seventh angel; after which it is said,

"The second woe is past: behold, the third woe cometh quickly."

Immediately the seventh angel sounds, under whom the third woe

goes forth. And to this trumpet belongs all that is related

to the end of the book.

Verse 1. And a great sign was seen in heaven-Not only by St.

John, but many heavenly spectators represented in the vision.

A sign means something that has an uncommon appearance, and from

which we infer that some unusual thing will follow. A woman-The

emblem of the church of Christ, as she is originally of Israel,

though built and enlarged on all sides by the addition of heathen

converts; and as she will hereafter appear, when all her "natural

branches are again "grafted in." She is at present on earth; and

yet, with regard to her union with Christ, may be said to be in

heaven, # Eph 2:6. Accordingly, she is described as both

assaulted and defended in heaven, verses 4, 7. # Rev 12:4,7

Clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her

head a crown of twelve stars-These figurative expressions must he

so interpreted as to preserve a due proportion between them. So,

in Joseph's dream, the sun betokened his father; the moon, his

mother; the stars, their children. There may be some such

resemblance here; and as the prophecy points out the "power over

all nations," perhaps the sun may betoken the Christian world;

the moon, the Mahometans, who also carry the moon in their

ensigns; and the crown of twelve stars, the twelve tribes of

Israel; which are smaller than the sun and moon. The whole of

this chapter answers the state of the church from the ninth

century to this time.

Verse 2. And being with child she crieth, travailing in birth

-The very pain, without any outward opposition, would constrain

a woman in travail to cry out. These cries, throes, and pains

to be delivered, were the painful longings, the sighs, and

prayers of the saints for the coming of the kingdom of God.

The woman groaned and travailed in spirit, that Christ might

appear, as the Shepherd and King of all nations.

Verse 3. And behold a great red dragon-His fiery-red colour

denoting his disposition. Having seven heads-Implying vast

wisdom. And ten horns-Perhaps on the seventh head; emblems of

mighty power and strength, which he still retained. And seven

diadems on his heads-Not properly crowns, but costly bindings,

such as kings anciently wore; for, though fallen, he was a

great potentate still, even "the prince of this world."

Verse 4. And his tail-His falsehood and subtilty. Draweth-As

a train. The third part-A very large number. Of the stars of

heaven-The Christians and their teachers, who before sat in

heavenly places with Christ Jesus. And casteth them to the

earth-Utterly deprives them of all those heavenly blessings.

This is properly a part of the description of the dragon, who

was not yet himself on earth, but in heaven: consequently, this

casting them down was between the beginning of the seventh

trumpet and the beginning of the third woe; or between the

year 847 and the year 947; at which time pestilent doctrines,

particularly that of the Manichees in the east, drew abundance

of people from the truth. And the dragon stood before the

woman, that when she had brought forth, he might devour the

child-That he might hinder the kingdom of Christ from

spreading abroad, as it does under this trumpet.

Verse 5. And she brought forth a man child-Even Christ,

considered not in his person, but in his kingdom. In the ninth

age, many nations with their princes were added to the Christian

church. Who was to rule all nations-When his time is come. And

her child-Which was already in heaven, as were the woman and the

dragon. Was caught up to God-Taken utterly out of his reach.

Verse 6. And the woman fled into the wilderness-This wilderness

is undoubtedly on earth, where the woman also herself is now

supposed to be. It betokens that part of the earth where, after

having brought forth, she found a new abode. And this must be in

Europe; as Asia and Afric were wholly in the hands of the Turks

and Saracens; and in a part of it where the woman had not been

before. In this wilderness, God had already prepared a place;

that is, made it safe and convenient for her. The wilderness is,

those countries of Europe which lie on this side the Danube; for

the countries which lie beyond it had received Christianity

before. That they may feed her-That the people of that place

may provide all things needful for her. Twelve hundred and

sixty days-So many prophetic days, which are not, as some have

supposed, twelve hundred and sixty, but seven hundred and

seventy-seven, common years. This Bengelius has shown at large

in his German Introduction. These we may compute from the year

847 to 1524. So long the woman enjoyed a safe and convenient

place in Europe, which was chiefly Bohemia; where she was fed,

till God provided for her more plentifully at the Reformation.

Verse 7. And there was war in heaven-Here Satan makes his

grand opposition to the kingdom of God; but an end is now put to

his accusing the saints before God. The cause goes against him,

verses 10, 11, # Rev 12:10,11 and Michael executes the

sentence. That Michael is a created angel, appears from his not

daring, in disputing with Satan, # Jude 9, to bring a railing

accusation; but only saying, "The Lord rebuke thee." And this

modesty is implied in his very name; for Michael signifies, "Who

is like God?" which implies also his deep reverence toward God,

and distance from all self-exaltation. Satan would be like God:

the very name of Michael asks, "Who is like God?" Not Satan;

not the highest archangel. It is he likewise that is afterward

employed to seize, bind, and imprison that proud spirit.

Verse 8. And he prevailed not-The dragon himself is principally

mentioned; but his angels, likewise, are to be understood.

Neither was this place found any more in heaven-So till now he

had a place in heaven. How deep a mystery is this! One may

compare this with # Luke 10:18; Eph 2:2; 4:8; 6:12.

Verse 9. And the great dragon was cast out-It is not yet said,

unto the earth-He was cast out of heaven; and at this the

inhabitants of heaven rejoice. He is termed the great dragon,

as appearing here in that shape, to intimate his poisonous and

cruel disposition. The ancient serpent-In allusion to his

deceiving Eve in that form. Dragons are a kind of large serpent.

Who is called the Devil and Satan-These are words of exactly the

same meaning; only the former is Greek; the latter, Hebrew;

denoting the grand adversary of all the saints, whether Jews or

gentiles. He has deceived the whole world-Not only in their

first parents, but through all ages, and in all countries, into

unbelief and all wickedness; into the hating and persecuting

faith and all goodness. He was cast out unto the earth-He was

cast out of heaven; and being cast out thence, himself came to

the earth. Nor had he been unemployed on the earth before,

although his ordinary abode was in heaven.

Verse 10. Now is come-Hence it is evident that all this chapter

belongs to the trumpet of the seventh angel. In the eleventh

chapter, from the fifteenth to the eighteenth verse, are proposed

the contents of this extensive trumpet; the execution of which

is copiously described in this and the following chapters. The

salvation-Of the saints. The might-Whereby the enemy is cast

out. The kingdom-Here the majesty of God is shown. And the

power of his Christ-Which he will exert against the beast; and

when he also is taken away, then will the kingdom be ascribed

to Christ himself, # Rev 19:16; 20:4.

The accuser of our brethren-So long as they remained on earth.

This great voice, therefore, was the voice of men only. Who

accused them before our God day and night-Amazing malice of

Satan, and patience of God!

Verse 11. And they have overcome him-Carried the cause against

him. By the blood of the Lamb-Which cleanses the soul from all

sin, and so leaves no room for accusing. And by the word of

their testimony-The word of God, which they believed and

testified, even unto death. So, for instance, died Olam, king

of Sweden, in the year 900, whom his own subjects would have

compelled to idolatry; and, upon his refusal, slew as a sacrifice

to the idol which he would not worship. So did multitudes of

Bohemian Christians, in the year 916, when queen Drahomire raised

a severe persecution, wherein many "loved not their lives unto

the death."

Verse 12. Woe to the earth and the sea-This is the fourth and

last denunciation of the third woe, the most grievous of all.

The first was only, the second chiefly, on the earth, Asia; the

third, both on the earth and the sea, Europe. The earth is

mentioned first, because it began in Asia, before the beast

brought it on Europe. He knoweth he hath but a little time

-Which extends from his casting out of heaven to his being cast

into the abyss.

We are now come to a most important period of time. The non-

chronos hastens to an end. We live in the little time wherein

Satan hath great wrath; and this little time is now upon the

decline. We are in the "time, times, and half a time," wherein

the woman is "fed in the wilderness;" yea, the last part of it,

"the half time," is begun. We are, as will be shown, towards the

close of the "forty-two months" of the beast; and when his number

is fulfilled, grievous things will be.

Let him who does not regard the being seized by the wrath of

the devil; the falling unawares into the general temptation; the

being borne away, by the most dreadful violence, into the worship

of the beast and his image, and, consequently, drinking the

unmixed wine of the wrath of God, and being tormented day and

night for ever and ever in the lake of fire and brimstone; let

him also who is confident that he can make his way through all

these by his own wisdom and strength, without need of any such

peculiar preservative as the word of this prophecy affords;

let him, I say, go hence. But let him who does not take these

warnings for senseless outcries, and blind alarms, beg of God,

with all possible earnestness, to give him his heavenly light

herein.

God has not given this prophecy, in so solemn a manner, only to

show his providence over his church, but also that his servants

may know at all times in what particular period they are. And

the more dangerous any period of time is, the greater is the

help which it affords. But where may we fix the beginning and

end of the little time? which is probably four-fifths of a

chronos, or somewhat above 888 years. This, which is the time

of the third woe, may reach from 947, to the year 1836. For,

1. The short interval of the second woe, (which woe ended in the

year 840,) and the 777 years of the woman, which began about the

year 847, quickly after which followed the war in heaven, fix

the beginning not long after 864: and thus the third woe falls

in the tenth century, extending from 900 to 1000; called the

dark, the iron, the unhappy age.

2. If we compare the length of the third woe with the period of

time which succeeds it in the twentieth chapter, it is but a

little time to that vast space which reaches from the beginning

of the non-chronos to the end of the world.

Verse 13. And when the dragon saw-That be could no longer

accuse the saints in heaven, he turned his wrath to do all

possible mischief on earth. He persecuted the woman-The

ancient persecutions of the church were mentioned,

# Rev 1:9, 2:10, 7:14; but this persecution came after

her flight, verse 6, # Rev 12:6 just at the beginning of the

third woe. Accordingly, in the tenth and eleventh centuries, the

church was furiously persecuted by several heathen powers. In

Prussia, king Adelbert was killed in the year 997, king Brunus

in 1008; and when king Stephen encouraged Christianity in Hungary,

he met with violent opposition. After his death, the heathens in

Hungary set themselves to root it out, and prevailed for several

years. About the same time, the army of the emperor, Henry the

Third, was totally overthrown by the Vandals. These, and all

the accounts of those times, show with what fury the dragon then

persecuted the woman.

Verse 14. And there were given to the woman the two wings

of the great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness

to her place-Eagles are the usual symbols of great potentates.

So # Ezekiel 17:3, by "a great eagle', means the king of Babylon.

Here the great eagle is the Roman empire; the two wings, the

eastern and western branches of it. A place in the wilderness

was mentioned in the sixth verse also; # Rev 12:6 but it is

not the same which is mentioned here.

In the text there follow one after the other,

1. The dragon's waiting to devour the child.

2. The birth of the child, which is caught up to God.

3. The fleeing of the woman into the wilderness.

4. The war in heaven, and the casting out of the dragon.

5. The beginning of the third woe.

6. The persecution raised by the dragon against the woman.

7. The woman's flying away upon the eagle's wings.

In like manner there follow one after the other,

1. The beginning of the twelve hundred and sixty days.

2. The beginning of the little time.

3. The beginning of the time, times, and half a time.

This third period partly coincides both with the first and the

second. After the beginning of the twelve hundred and sixty

days, or rather of the third woe, Christianity was exceedingly

propagated, in the midst of various persecutions. About the

year 948 it was again settled in Denmark; in 965, in Poland and

Silesia; in 980, through all Russia. In 997 it was brought

into Hungary; into Sweden and Norway, both before and after.

Transylvania received it about 1000; and, soon after, other

parts of Dacia.

Now, all the countries in which Christianity was settled between

the beginning of the twelve hundred and sixty days, and the

imprisonment of the dragon, may be understood by the wilderness,

and by her place in particular. This place contained many

countries; so that Christianity now reached, in an uninterrupted

tract, from the eastern to the western empire; and both the

emperors now lent their wings to the woman, and provided a

safe abode for her. Where she is fed-By God rather than man;

having little human help. For a time, and times, and half a

time-The length of the several periods here mentioned seems to

be nearly this:-

Years.

1. The non-chronos contains less than......................1111

2. The little time..........................................888

3. The time, times, and half a time.........................777

4. The time of the beast....................................666

And comparing the prophecy and history together, they seem

to begin and end nearly thus:-

1. The non-chronos extends..............from about 800 to 1836

2. The 1260 days of the woman...................from 847 - 1524

3. The little time.............................. - 947 - 1836

4. The time, time, and half..................... - 1058 - 1836

5. The time of the beast is between the beginning and end of the

three times and a half. In the year 1058 the empires had a good

understanding with each other, and both protected the woman.

The bishops of Rome, likewise, particularly Victor II., were

duly subordinate to the emperor. We may observe, the twelve

hundred and sixty days of the woman, from 847 to 1524, and the

three times and a half, refer to the same wilderness. But in

the former part of the twelve hundred and sixty days, before

the three times and an half began, namely, from the year 847 to

1058, she was fed by others, being little able to help herself;

whereas, from 1058 to 1524, she is both fed by others, and has

food herself. To this the sciences transplanted into the west

from the eastern countries much contributed; the scriptures, in

the original tongues, brought into the west of Europe by the

Jews and Greeks, much more; and most of all, the Reformation,

grounded on those scriptures.

Verse 15. Water is an emblem of a great people; this water,

of the Turks in particular. About the year 1060 they overran

the Christian part of Asia. Afterward, they poured into Europe,

and spread farther and farther, till they had overflowed many

nations.

Verse 16. But the earth helped the woman-The powers of the earth;

and indeed she needed help through this whole period. "The time"

was from 1058 to 1280; during which the Turkish flood ran higher

and higher, though frequently repressed by the emperors, or their

generals, helping the woman. "The" two "times" were from 1280

to 1725. During these likewise the Turkish power flowed far and

wide; but still from time to time the princes of the earth helped

the woman, that she was not carried away by it. "The half time"

is from 1725 to 1836. In the beginning of this period the Turks

began to meddle with the affairs of Persia: wherein they have so

entangled themselves, as to be the less able to prevail against

the two remaining Christian empires. Yet this flood still

reaches the woman "in her place;" and will, till near the end of

the "half time," itself be swallowed up, perhaps by means of

Russia, which is risen in the room of the eastern empire.

Verse 17. And the dragon was wroth-Anew, because he could not

cause her to he carried away by the stream. And he went forth

-Into other lands. To make war with the rest of her seed-Real

Christians, living under heathen or Turkish governors.

Verse 1. And I stood on the sand of the sea-This also was in

the vision. And I saw-Soon after the woman flew away. A wild

beast coming up-He comes up twice; first from the sea, then

from the abyss. He comes from the sea before the seven phials;

"the great whore" comes after them.

O reader, this is a subject wherein we also are deeply concerned,

and which must he treated, not as a point of curiosity, but as

a solemn warning from God! The danger is near. Be armed both

against force and fraud, even with the whole armour of God. Out

of the sea-That is, Europe. So the three woes (the first being in

Persia, the second about the Euphrates) move in a line from east

to west. This beast is the Romish Papacy, as it came to a point

six hundred years since, stands now, and will for some time

longer. To this, and no other power on earth, agrees the whole

text, and every part of it in every point; as we may see, with

the utmost evidence, from the propositions following:-

PROP. 1. It is one and the same beast, having seven heads, and

ten horns, which is described in this and in the seventeenth

chapter. Of consequence, his heads are the same, and his horns

also.

PROP. 2. This beast is a spiritually secular power, opposite

to the kingdom of Christ. A power not merely spiritual or

ecclesiastical, nor merely secular or political but a mixture

of both. He is a secular prince; for a crown, yea, and a

kingdom are ascribed to him. And yet he is not merely secular;

for he is also a false prophet.

PROP. 3. The beast has a strict connexion with the city of Rome.

This clearly appears from the seventeenth chapter.

PROP. 4. The beast is now existing. He is not past. for Rome is

now existing; and it is not till after the destruction of Rome

that the beast is thrown into the lake. He is not altogether to

come: for the second woe is long since past, after which the

third came quickly; and presently after it began, the beast rose

out of the sea. Therefore, whatever he is, he is now existing.

PROP. 5. The beast is the Romish Papacy. This manifestly follows

from the third and fourth propositions; the beast has a strict

connexion with the city of Rome; and the beast is now existing:

therefore, either there is some other power more strictly

connected with that city, or the Pope is the beast.

PROP. 6. The Papacy, or papal kingdom, began long ago.

The most remarkable particulars relating to this are here

subjoined; taken so high as abundantly to show the rise of the

beast, and brought down as low as our own time, in order to

throw a light on the following part of the prophecy:-

A.D. 1033. Benedict the Ninth, a child of eleven years old, is

bishop of Rome, and occasions grievous disorders for above

twenty years.

A.D. 1048. Damasus II. introduces the use of the triple crown.

A.D. 1058. The church of Milan is, after long opposition,

subjected to the Roman.

A.D. 1073. Hildebrand, or Gregory VII., comes to the throne.

A.D. 1076. He deposes and excommunicates the emperor.

A.D. 1077. He uses him shamefully and absolves him.

A.D. 1080. He excommunicates him again, and sends a crown to

Rodulph, his competitor.

A.D. 1083. Rome is taken. Gregory flees. Clement is made Pope,

and crowns the emperor.

A.D. 1085. Gregory VII. dies at Salerno.

A.D. 1095. Urban II. holds the first Popish council, at Clermont

and gives rise to the crusades.

A.D. 1111. Paschal II. quarrels furiously with the emperor.

A.D. 1123. The first western general council in the Lateran.

The marriage of priests is forbidden.

A.D. 1132. Innocent II declares the emperor to be the Pope's

liege-man, or vassal.

A.D. 1143. The Romans set up a governor of their own,

independent on Innocent II. He excommunicates them, and dies.

Celestine II. is, by an important innovation, chosen to the

Popedom without the suffrage of the people; the right of

choosing the Pope is taken from the people, and afterward from

the clergy, and lodged in the Cardinals alone.

A.D. 1152. Eugene II. assumes the power of canonizing saints.

A.D. 1155. Adrian IV. puts Arnold of Brixia to death for

speaking against the secular power of the Papacy.

A.D. 1159. Victor IV. is elected and crowned. But Alexander III.

conquers him and his successor.

A.D. 1168. Alexander III. excommunicates the emperor, and brings

him so low, that,

A.D. 1177. he submits to the Pope's setting his foot on his neck.

A.D. 1204. Innocent III. sets up the Inquisition against the Vaudois.

A.D. 1208. He proclaims a crusade against them.

A.D. 1300. Boniface VIII. introduces the year of jubilee.

A.D. 1305. The Pope's residence is removed to Avignon.

A.D. 1377. It is removed back to Rome.

A.D. 1378. The fifty years' schism begins.

A.D. 1449. Felix V., the last Antipope, submits to Nicholas V.

A.D. 1517. The Reformation begins.

A.D. 1527. Rome is taken and plundered.

A.D. 1557. Charles V. resigns the empire; Ferdinand I. thinks

the being crowned by the Pope superfluous.

A.D. 1564. Pius IV. confirms the Council of Trent.

A.D. 1682. Doctrines highly derogatory to the Papal authority

are openly taught in France.

A.D. 1713. The constitution Unigenitus.

A.D. 1721. Pope Gregory VII. canonized anew.

He who compares this short table with what will be observed,

verse 3, # Rev 13:3 and Rev 17:10, will see that the ascent

of the beast out of the sea must needs be fixed toward the

beginning of it; and not higher than Gregory VII., nor lower

than Alexander III.

The secular princes now favoured the kingdom of Christ; but

the bishops of Rome vehemently opposed it. These at first were

plain ministers or pastors of the Christian congregation at Rome,

but by degrees they rose to an eminence of honour and power over

all their brethren till, about the time of Gregory VII. (and

so ever since) they assumed all the ensigns of royal majesty;

yea, of a majesty and power far superior to that of all other

potentates on earth.

We are not here considering their false doctrines, but their

unbounded power. When we think of those, we are to look at the

false prophet, who is also termed a wild beast at his ascent out

of the earth. But the first beast then properly arose, when,

after several preludes thereto, the Pope raised himself above

the emperor.

PROP. 7. Hildebrand, or Gregory VII., is the proper founder of

the papal kingdom. All the patrons of the Papacy allow that he

made many considerable additions to it; and this very thing

constituted the beast, by completing the spiritual kingdom: the

new maxims and the new actions of Gregory all proclaim this.

Some of his maxims are,

1. That the bishop of Rome alone is universal bishop.

2. That he alone can depose bishops, or receive them again.

3. That he alone has power to make new laws in the church.

4. That he alone ought to use the ensigns of royalty.

5. That all princes ought to kiss his foot.

6. That the name of Pope is the only name under heaven; and

that his name alone should be recited in the churches.

7. That he has a power to depose emperors.

8. That no general synod can be convened but by him.

9. That no book is canonical without his authority.

10. That none upon earth can repeal his sentence, but he alone

can repeal any sentence.

11. That he is subject to no human judgment.

12. That no power dare to pass sentence on one who appeals to the Pope.

13. That all weighty causes everywhere ought to be referred to him.

14. That the Roman church never did, nor ever can, err.

15. That the Roman bishop, canonically ordained, is immediately

made holy, by the merits of St. Peter.

16. That he can absolve subjects from their allegiance.

These the most eminent Romish writers own to be his genuine

sayings. And his actions agree with his words. Hitherto the

Popes had been subject to the emperors, though often unwillingly;

but now the Pope began himself, under a spiritual pretext, to act

the emperor of the whole Christian world: the immediate dispute

was, about the investiture of bishops, the right of which each

claimed to himself. And now was the time for the Pope either

to give up, or establish his empire forever: to decide which,

Gregory excommunicated the emperor Henry IV.; "having first,"

says Platina, "deprived him of all his dignities." The sentence

ran in these terms: "Blessed Peter, prince of the apostles,

incline, I beseech thee, thine ears, and hear me thy servant.

In the name of the omnipotent God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

I cast down the emperor Henry from all imperial and regal

authority, and absolve all Christians, that were his subjects,

from the oath whereby they used to swear allegiance to true

kings. And moreover, because he had despised mine, yea, thy

admonitions, I bind him with the bond of an anathema."

The same sentence he repeated at Rome in these terms: "Blessed

Peter, prince of the apostles, and thou Paul, teacher of the

gentiles, incline, I beseech you, your ears to me, and

graciously hear me. Henry, whom they call emperor, hath proudly

lifted up his horns and his head against the church of God,-who

came to me, humbly imploring to be absolved from his

excommunication,-I restored him to communion, but not to his

kingdom,-neither did I allow his subjects to return to their

allegiance. Several bishops and princes of Germany, taking this

opportunity, in the room of Henry, justly deposed, chose Rodulph

emperor, who immediately sent ambassadors to me, informing me

that he would rather obey me than accept of a kingdom, and that

he should always remain at the disposal of God and us. Henry

then began to be angry, and at first intreated us to hinder

Rodulph from seizing his kingdom. I said I would see to whom

the right belonged, and give sentence which should be preferred.

Henry forbad this. Therefore I bind Henry and all his favourers

with the bond of an anathema, and again take from him all regal

power. I absolve all Christians from their oath of allegiance,

forbid them to obey Henry in anything, and command them to

receive Rodulph as their king. Confirm this, therefore, by your

authority, ye most holy princes of the apostles, that all may now

at length know, as ye have power to bind and loose in heaven,

so we have power to give and take away on earth, empires,

kingdoms, principalities, and whatsoever men can have."

When Henry submitted, then Gregory began to reign without

control. In the same year, 1077, on September 1, he fixed a

new era of time, called the Indiction, used at Rome to this day.

Thus did the Pope claim to himself the whole authority over all

Christian princes. Thus did he take away or confer kingdoms and

empires, as a king of kings. Neither did his successors fail to

tread in his steps. It is well known, the following Popes have

not been wanting to exercise the same power, both over kings and

emperors. And this the later Popes have been so far from

disclaiming, that three of them have sainted this very Gregory,

namely, Clement VIII., Paul V., and Benedict XIII. Here is then

the beast, that is, the king: in fact such, though not in name:

according to that remarkable observation of Cardinal Bellarmine,

"Antichrist will govern the Roman empire, yet without the name of

Roman emperor." His spiritual title prevented his taking the

name, while he exerciseth all the power. Now Gregory was at

the head of this novelty. So Aventine himself, "Gregory VII was

the first founder of the pontifical empire."

Thus the time of the ascent of the beast is clear. The apostasy

and mystery of iniquity gradually increased till he arose, "who

opposeth and exalteth himself above all." # 2Thess 2:4.

Before the seventh trumpet the adversary wrought more secretly;

but soon after the beginning of this, the beast openly opposes

his kingdom to the kingdom of Christ.

PROP 8. The empire of Hildebrand properly began in the year 1077.

Then it was, that upon the emperor's leaving Italy, Gregory

exercised his power to the full. And on the first of September,

in this year, he began his famous epocha.

This may be farther established and explained by the following

observations:-

OBS. 1. The beast is the Romish Papacy, which has now reigned

for some ages.

OBS. 2. The beast has seven heads and ten horns.

OBS. 3. The seven heads are seven hills, and also seven kings.

One of the heads could not have been, "as it were, mortally

wounded," had it been only a hill.

OBS. 4. The ascent of the beast out of the sea is different from

his ascent out of the abyss; the Revelation often mentions both

the sea and the abyss but never uses the terms promiscuously.

OBS. 5. The heads of the beast do not begin before his rise out of

the sea, but with it.

OBS. 6. These heads, as kings, succeed each other.

OBS. 7. The time which they take up in this succession is divided

into three parts. "Five" of the kings signified thereby

"are fallen: one is, the other is not yet come."

OBS. 8. "One is:" namely, while the angel was speaking this.

He places himself and St. John in the middlemost time, that he

might the more commodiously point out the first time as past,

the second as present, the third as future.

OBS. 9. The continuance of the beast is divided in the same manner.

The beast "was, is not, will ascend out of the abyss,"

# Rev 17:8,11. Between these two verses, that is interposed

as parallel with them, "Five are fallen, one is, the other is

not yet come."

OBS. 10. Babylon is Rome. All things which the Revelation says of

Babylon, agree to Rome, and Rome only. It commenced "Babylon,"

when it commenced "the great." When Babylon sunk in the east,

it arose in the west; and it existed in the time of the

apostles, whose judgment is said to be "avenged on her."

OBS. 11. The beast reigns both before and after the reign of Babylon.

First, the beast reigns, # Rev 13:1, &c.; then Babylon,

# Rev 17:1, &c.; and then the beast again, Rev 17:8, &c.

OBS. 12. The heads are of the substance of the beast; the horns are

not. The wound of one of the heads is called "the wound of the

beast" itself, verse 3; # Rev 13:3 but the horns, or kings,

receive the kingdom "with the beast," # Rev 17:12. That word

alone, "the horns and the beast," # Rev 17:16, sufficiently

shows them to be something added to him.

OBS. 13. The forty-two months of the beast fall within the first of

the three periods. The beast rose out of the sea in the year

1077. A little after, power was given him for forty-two months.

This power is still in being.

OBS. 14. The time when the beast "is not," and the reign of "Babylon,"

are together. The beast, when risen out of the sea, raged

violently, till "his kingdom was darkened" by the fifth phial.

But it was a kingdom still; and the beast having a kingdom, though

darkened, was the beast still. But it was afterwards said,

"the beast was," (was the beast, that is, reigned,) "and is not;"

is not the beast; does not reign, having lost his kingdom. Why?

because "the woman sits upon the beast," who "sits a queen,"

reigning over the kings of the earth: till the beast, rising

out of the abyss, and taking with him the ten kings, suddenly

destroys her.

OBS. 15. The difference there is between Rome and the Pope, which has

always subsisted, will then be most apparent. Rome, distinct from

the Pope, bears three meanings; the city itself, the Roman church,

and the people of Rome. In the last sense of the word, Rome with

its dutchy, which contained part of Tuscany and Campania, revolted

from the Greek emperor in 726, and became a free state, governed by

its senate. From this time the senate, and not the Pope, enjoyed

the supreme civil power. But in 796, Leo III., being chosen Pope,

sent to Charles the Great, desiring him to come and subdue the senate

and people of Rome, and constrain them to swear allegiance to him.

Hence arose a sharp contention between the Pope and the Roman people,

who seized and thrust him into a monastery. He escaped and fled to

the emperor, who quickly sent him back in great state. In the year

800 the emperor came to Rome, and shortly after, the Roman people,

who had hitherto chosen their own bishops, and looked upon themselves

and their senate as having the same rights with the ancient senate

and people of Rome, chose Charles for their emperor, and subjected

themselves to him, in the same manner as the ancient Romans did to

their emperors. The Pope crowned him, and paid him homage on his

knees, as was formerly done to the Roman emperors: and the emperor

took an oath "to defend the holy Roman church in all its emoluments."

He was also created consul, and styled himself thenceforward Augustus,

Emperor of the Romans. Afterwards he gave the government of the city

and dutchy of Rome to the Pope, yet still subject to himself.

What the Roman church is, as distinct from the Pope, appears,

1. When a council is held before the Pope's confirmation;

2. When upon a competition, judgment is given which is the true Pope;

3. When the See is vacant;

4. When the Pope himself is suspected by the Inquisition

How Rome, as it is a city, differs from the Pope, there is no need

to show.

OBS. 16. In the first and second period of his duration, the beast is a

body of men; in the third, an individual. The beast with seven

heads is the Papacy of many ages: the seventh head is the man of

sin, antichrist. He is a body of men from # Rev 13:1 - Rev 17:7;

he is a body of men and an individual, # Rev 17:8 - Rev 17:11;

he is an individual, # Rev 17:12 - Rev 19:20.

OBS. 17. That individual is the seventh head of the beast, or, the other

king after the five and one, himself being the eighth, though one of

the seven. As he is a Pope, he is one of the seven heads. But he is

the eighth, or not a head, but the beast himself, not, as he is a

Pope, but as he bears a new and singular character at his coming from

the abyss. To illustrate this by a comparison: suppose a tree of

seven branches, one of which is much larger than the rest; if those

six are cut away, and the seventh remain, that is the tree.

OBS. 18. "He is the wicked one, the man of sin, the son of perdition"

usually termed antichrist.

OBS. 19. The ten horns, or kings, "receive power as kings with the wild

beast one hour," # Rev 17:12; with the individual beast, "who was

not." But he receives his power again, and the kings with it, who

quickly give their new power to him.

OBS. 20. The whole power of the Roman monarchy, divided into ten

kingdoms, will be conferred on the beast, # Rev 17:13,16,17.

OBS. 21. The ten horns and the beast will destroy the whore, # Rev 17:16.

OBS. 22. At length the beast, the ten horns, and the other kings of the

earth, will fall in that great slaughter, # Rev 19:19.

OBS. 23. Daniel's fourth beast is the Roman monarchy, from the beginning

of it, till the thrones are set. This, therefore, comprises both

the apocalyptic beast, and the woman, and many other things.

This monarchy is like a river which runs from its fountain in one

channel, but in its course sometimes takes in other rivers, sometimes

is itself parted into several streams, yet is still one continued

river. The Roman power was at first undivided; but it was afterwards

divided into various channels, till the grand division into the

eastern and western empires, which likewise underwent various changes.

Afterward the kings of the Heruli. Goths, Lombards, the exarchs of

Ravenna, the Romans themselves the emperors, French and German,

besides other kings, seized several parts of the Roman power. Now

whatever power the Romans had before Gregory VII., that Daniel's

beast contains; whatever power the Papacy has had from Gregory VII.,

this the apocalyptic beast represents, but this very beast (and so

Rome with its last authority) is comprehended under that of Daniel.

And upon his heads a name of blasphemy-To ascribe to a man what

belongs to God alone is blasphemy. Such a name the beast has, not

on his horns, nor on one head, but on all. The beast himself bears

that name, and indeed through his whole duration. This is the name

of Papa or Pope; not in the innocent sense wherein it was formerly

given to all bishops, but in that high and peculiar sense wherein it

is now given to the bishop of Rome by himself, and his followers: a

name which comprises the whole pre-eminence of the highest and most

holy father upon earth. Accordingly among the above cited sayings

of Gregory, those two stand together, that his "name alone should

be recited in the churches;" and that it is "the only name in the

world." So both the church and the world were to name no other

father on the face of the earth.

Verse 2. The three first beasts in Daniel are like "a

leopard," "a bear," and "a lion." In all parts, except his

feet and mouth, this beast was like a leopard or female

panther; which is fierce as a lion or bear, but is also swift

and subtle. Such is the Papacy, which has partly by

subtilty, partly by force, gained power over so many nations.

The extremely various usages, manners, and ways of the Pope,

may likewise be compared to the spots of the leopard. And

his feet were as the feet of a bear-Which are very strong,

and armed with sharp claws. And, as clumsy as they seem, he

can therewith walk, stand upright, climb, or seize anything.

So does this beast seize and take for his prey whatever comes

within the reach of his claws. And his mouth was as the mouth

of a lion-To roar, and to devour. And the dragon-Whose vassal

and vicegerent he is. Gave him his power-His own strength and

innumerable forces. And his throne-So that he might command

whatever he would, having great, absolute authority. The

dragon had his throne in heathen Rome, so long as idolatry

and persecution reigned there. And after he was disturbed in

his possession, yet would he never wholly resign, till he

gave it to the beast in Christian Rome, so called.

Verse 3. And I saw one-Or the first. Of his heads as it

were wounded-So it appeared as soon as ever it rose. The

beast is first described more generally, then more

particularly, both in this and in the seventeenth chapter.

The particular description here respects the former parts;

there, the latter parts of his duration: only that some

circumstances relating to the former are repeated in the

seventeenth chapter. # Rev 17:1-18

This deadly wound was given him on his first head by the

sword, verse 14; # Rev 13:14 that is, by the bloody resistance

of the secular potentates, particularly the German emperors.

These had for a long season had the city of Rome, with her

bishop, under their jurisdiction. Gregory determined to cast

off this yoke from his own, and to lay it on the emperor's

shoulders. He broke loose, and excommunicated the emperor, who

maintained his right by force, and gave the Pope such a blow,

that one would have thought the beast must have been killed

thereby, immediately after his coming up. But he recovered,

and grew stronger than before. The first head of the beast

extends from Gregory VII., at least to Innocent III. In that

tract of time the beast was much wounded by the emperors.

But, notwithstanding, the wound was healed.

Two deadly symptoms attended this wound: 1. Schisms and open

ruptures in the church. For while the emperors asserted

their right, there were from the year 1080 to the year 1176

only, five open divisions, and at least as many antipopes,

some of whom were, indeed, the rightful Popes. This was highly

dangerous to the papal kingdoms. But a still more dangerous

symptom was, 2. The rising of the nobility at Rome, who would

not suffer their bishop to be a secular prince, particularly

over themselves. Under Innocent II. they carried their

point, re-established the ancient commonwealth, took away

from the Pope the government of the city, and left him only

his episcopal authority. "At this," says the historian,

"Innocent II. and Celestine II. fretted themselves to death:

Lucius II., as he attacked the capitol, wherein the senate

was, sword in hand, was struck with a stone, and died in a

few days: Eugene III., Alexander III., and Lucius III., were

driven out of the city: Urban III. and Gregory VIII.

spent their days in banishment At length they came to an

agreement with Clement III., who was himself a Roman." And

the whole earth-The whole western world. Wondered after the

wild beast-That is, followed him with wonder, in his councils,

his crusades, and his jubilees. This refers not only to the

first head, but also to the four following.

Verse 4. And they worshipped the dragon-Even in worshipping

the beast, although they knew it not. And worshipped the wild

beast-Paying him such honour as was not paid to any merely

secular potentate. That very title, "Our most holy Lord,"

was never given to any other monarch on earth. Saying, Who

is like the wild beast-"Who is like him?" is a peculiar

attribute of God; but that this is constantly attributed to

the beast, the books of all his adherents show.

Verse 5. And there was given him-By the dragon, through the

permission of God. A mouth speaking great things and blasphemy

-The same is said of the little horn on the fourth beast in

Daniel. Nothing greater, nothing more blasphemous, can be

conceived, than what the Popes have said of themselves,

especially before the Reformation. And authority was given him

forty-two months-The beginning of these is not to be dated

immediately from his ascent out of the sea, but at some distance

from it.

Verse 6. To blaspheme his name-Which many of the Popes have

done explicitly, and in the most dreadful manner. And his

tabernacle, even them that dwell in heaven-(For God himself

dwelleth in the inhabitance of heaven.) Digging up the bones

of many of them, and cursing them with the deepest execrations.

Verse 7. And it was given him-That is, God permitted him.

To make war with his saints-With the Waldenses and Albigenses.

It is a vulgar mistake, that the Waldenses were so called from

Peter Waldo of Lyons. They were much more ancient than him; and

their true name was Vallenses or Vaudois from their inhabiting

the valleys of Lucerne and Agrogne. This name, Vallenses, after

Waldo appeared about the year 1160, was changed by the Papists

into Waldenses, on purpose to represent them as of modern

original. The Albigenses were originally people of Albigeois,

part of Upper Languedoc, where they considerably prevailed, and

possessed several towns in the year 1200. Against these many of

the Popes made open war. Till now the blood of Christians had

been shed only by the heathens or Arians; from this time by

scarce any but the Papacy. In the year 1208 Innocent III.

proclaimed a crusade against them. In June, 1209, the army

assembled at Toulouse; from which time abundance of blood was

shed, and the second army of martyrs began to be added to the

first, who had cried "from beneath the altar." And ever since,

the beast has been warring against the saints, and shedding their

blood like water. And authority was given him over every tribe

and people-Particularly in Europe. And when a way was found by

sea into the East Indies, and the West, these also were brought

under his authority.

Verse 8. And all that dwell upon the earth will worship him-All

will be carried away by the torrent, but the little flock of true

believers. The name of these only is written in the Lamb's book

of life. And if any even of these "make shipwreck of the faith,"

he will blot them "out of his book;" although they were written

therein from (that is, before) the foundation of the world,

# Rev 17:8.

Verse 9. If any one have an ear, let him hear-It was said

before, "He that hath an ear, let him hear." This expression,

if any, seems to imply, that scarce will any that hath an ear

be found. Let him hear-With all attention the following

warning, and the whole description of the beast,

Verse 10. If any man leadeth into captivity-God will in due

time repay the followers of the beast in their own kind.

Meanwhile, here is the patience and faithfulness of the saints

exercised: their patience, by enduring captivity or

imprisonment; their faithfulness, by resisting unto blood.

Verse 11. And I saw another wild beast-So he is once termed

to show his fierceness and strength, but in all other places,

"the false prophet." He comes to confirm the kingdom of the

first beast. Coming up-After the other had long exercised

his authority. Out of the earth-Out of Asia. But he is not

yet come, though he cannot be far off for he is to appear at

the end of the forty-two months of the first beast. And he

had two horns like a lamb-A mild, innocent appearance. But

he spake like a dragon-Venomous, fiery, dreadful. So do

those who are zealous for the beast.

Verse 12. And he exerciseth all the authority of the first wild

beast-Described in the second, fourth, fifth, and seventh

verses. # Rev 13:2,3,5,7

Before him-For they are both together. Whose deadly wound was

healed-More throughly healed by means of the second beast.

Verse 13. He maketh fire-Real fire. To come down-By the

power of the devil.

Verse 14. Before the wild beast-Whose usurped majesty is

confirmed by these wonders. Saying to them-As if it were

from God. To make an image to the wild beast-Like that of

Nebuchadnezzar, whether of gold, silver, or stone. The

original image will be set up where the beast himself shall

appoint. But abundance of copies will be taken, which may be

carried into all parts, like those of Diana of Ephesus.

Verse 15. So that the image of the wild beast should speak

-Many instances of this kind have been already among the

Papists, as well as the heathens. And as many as will not

worship-When it is required of them; as it will be of all

that buy or sell. Shall be killed-By this the Pope manifests

that he is antichrist, directly contrary to Christ. It is

Christ who shed his own blood; it is antichrist who sheds the

blood of others. And yet, it seems, his last and most cruel

persecution is to come. This persecution, the reverse of all

that preceded, will, as we may gather from many scriptures, fall

chiefly on the outward court worshippers, the formal Christians.

It is probable that few real, inward Christians shall perish by

it: on the contrary, those who "watch and pray always" shall be

"accounted worthy to escape all these things, and to stand

before the Son of man," # Luke 21:36.

Verse 16. On their forehead-The most zealous of his followers

will probably choose this. Others may receive it on their hand.

Verse 17. That no man might buy or sell-Such edicts have been

published long since against the poor Vaudois. But he that had

the mark, namely, the name of the first beast, or the number

of his name-The name of the beast is that which he bears through

his whole duration; namely, that of Papa or Pope: the number of

his name is the whole time during which he bears this name.

Whosoever, therefore, receives the mark of the beast does as

much as if he said expressly, "I acknowledge the present

Papacy, as proceeding from God;" or, "I acknowledge that what

St. Gregory VII. has done, according to his legend,

(authorized by Benedict XIII.,) and what has been maintained

in virtue thereof, by his successors to this day, is from

God." By the former, a man hath the name of the beast as a

mark; by the latter, the number of his name. In a word, to

have the name of the beast is, to acknowledge His papal

Holiness; to have the number of his name is, to acknowledge

the papal succession. The second beast will enforce the

receiving this mark under the severest penalties.

Verse 18. Here is the wisdom-To be exercised. "The patience

of the saints" availed against the power of the first beast:

the wisdom God giveth them will avail against the subtilty of

the second. Let him that hath understanding-Which is a gift

of God, subservient to that wisdom. Count the number of the

wild beast-Surely none can be blamed for attempting to obey

this command. For it is the number of a man-A number of such

years as are common among men. And his number is six hundred

and sixty-six years-So long shall he endure from his first

appearing.

Verse 1. And I saw on mount Sion-The heavenly Sion. An

hundred forty-four thousand-Either those out of all mankind

who had been the most eminently holy, or the most holy out of

the twelve tribes of Israel the same that were mentioned,

# Rev 7:4, and perhaps also, # Rev 16:2. But they were then

in the world, and were sealed in their foreheads, to preserve

them from the plagues that were to follow. They are now in

safety, and have the name of the Lamb and of his Father

written on their foreheads, as being the redeemed of God and

of the Lamb, his now unalienable property. This prophecy

often introduces the inhabitants of heaven as a kind of

chorus with great propriety and elegance. The church above,

making suitable reflections on the grand events which are

foretold in this book, greatly serves to raise the attention

of real Christians, and to teach the high concern they have

in them. Thus is the church on earth instructed, animated,

and encouraged, by the sentiments temper, and devotion of

the church in heaven.

Verse 2. And I heard a sound out of heaven-Sounding clearer

and clearer: first, at a distance, as the sound of many

waters or thunders; and afterwards, being nearer, it was as

of harpers harping on their harps. It sounded vocally and

instrumentally at once.

Verse 3. And they-The hundred forty-four thousand-Sing a new

song-and none could learn that song-To sing and play it in

the same manner. But the hundred forty-four thousand who

were redeemed from the earth-From among men; from all sin.

Verse 4. These are they who had not been defiled with

women-It seems that the deepest defilement, and the most

alluring temptation, is put for every other. They are

virgins-Unspotted souls; such as have preserved universal

purity. These are they who follow the Lamb-Who are nearest

to him. This is not their character, but their reward

Firstfruits-Of the glorified spirits. Who is ambitious to be

of this number?

Verse 5. And in their month there was found no guile-Part for

the whole. Nothing untrue, unkind, unholy. They are without

fault-Having preserved inviolate a virgin purity both of soul

and body.

Verse 6. And I saw another angel-A second is mentioned, verse

8; a third, verse 9. # Rev 14:8,9

These three denote great messengers of God with their assistants;

three men who bring messages from God to men. The first exhorts

to the fear and worship of God; he second proclaims the fall of

Babylon; the third gives warning concerning the beast. Happy are

they who make the right use of these divine messages! Flying

-Going on swiftly. In the midst of heaven-Breadthways.

Having an everlasting gospel-Not the gospel, properly so called;

but a gospel, or joyful message, which was to have an influence on

all ages. To preach to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and

people-Both to Jew and gentile, even as far as the authority

of the beast had extended.

Verse 7. Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his

judgment is come-The joyful message is properly this, that

the hour of God's judgment is come. And hence is that

admonition drawn, Fear God and give glory to him. They who

do this will not worship the beast, neither any image or idol

whatsoever. And worship him that made-Whereby he is absolutely

distinguished from idols of every kind. The heaven, and the

earth, and the sea, and fountains of water-And they who worship

him shall be delivered when the angels pour out their phials on

the earth, sea, fountains of water, on the sun, and in the air.

Verse 8. And another angel followed, saying, Babylon is fallen

-With the overthrow of Babylon, that of all the enemies of

Christ, and, consequently, happier times, are connected.

Babylon the great-So the city of Rome is called upon many

accounts. Babylon was magnificent, strong, proud, powerful. So

is Rome also. Babylon was first, Rome afterwards, the residence

of the emperors of the world. What Babylon was to Israel of old,

Rome hath been both to the literal and spiritual "Israel of God."

Hence the liberty of the ancient Jews was connected with the

overthrow of the Babylonish empire. And when Rome is finally

overthrown, then the people of God will be at liberty.

Whenever Babylon is mentioned in this book, the great is

added, to teach us that Rome then commenced Babylon, when it

commenced the great city; when it swallowed up the Grecian

monarchy and its fragments, Syria in particular; and, in

consequence of this, obtained dominion over Jerusalem about

sixty years before the birth of Christ. Then it began, but

it will not cease to be Babylon till it is finally destroyed.

Its spiritual greatness began in the fifth century, and

increased from age to age. It seems it will come to its

utmost height just before its final overthrow.

Her fornication is her idolatry; invocation of saints and

angels; worship of images; human traditions; with all that

outward pomp, yea, and that fierce and bloody zeal, wherewith

she pretends to serve God. But with spiritual fornication, as

elsewhere, so in Rome, fleshly fornication is joined abundantly.

Witness the stews there, licensed by the Pope, which are no

inconsiderable branch of his revenue. This is fitly compared,

to wine, because of its intoxicating nature.

Of this wine she hath, indeed, made all nations drink-More

especially by her later missions. We may observe, this making

them drink is not ascribed to the beast, but to Babylon. For

Rome itself, the Roman inquisitions, congregations, and Jesuits,

continually propagate the idolatrous doctrines and practices,

with or without the consent of this or that Pope, who himself

is not secure from their censure.

Verse 9. And a third angel followed-At no great distance of

time. Saying, If any one worship the wild beast-This worship

consists, partly in an inward submission, a persuasion that

all who are subject to Christ must be subject to the beast or

they cannot receive the influences of divine grace, or, as

their expression is, there is no salvation out of their church;

partly in a suitable outward reverence to the beast himself, and

consequently to his image.

Verse 10. He shall drink-With Babylon,

# Rev 16:19.

And shall be tormented-With the beast,

# Rev 20:10.

In all the scripture there is not another so terrible threatening

as this. And God by this greater fear arms his servants against

the fear of the beast. The wrath of God, which is poured unmixed

-Without any mixture of mercy; without hope. Into the cup of his

indignation-And is no real anger implied in all this?

O what will not even wise men assert, to serve an hypothesis!

Verse 11. And the smoke-From the fire and brimstone wherein

they are tormented. Ascendeth for ever and ever-God grant thou

and I may never try the strict, literal eternity of this torment!

Verse 12. Here is the patience of the saints-Seen, in

suffering all things rather than receive this mark. Who keep

the commandments of God-The character of all true saints; and

particularly the great command to believe in Jesus.

Verse 13. And I heard a voice-This is most seasonably heard

when the beast is in his highest power and fury. Out of heaven

-Probably from a departed saint. Write-He was at first commanded

to write the whole book. Whenever this is repeated it denotes

something peculiarly observable. Happy are the dead-From

henceforth particularly: 1. Because they escape the approaching

calamities: 2. Because they already enjoy so near an approach to

glory. Who die in the Lord-In the faith of the Lord Jesus. For

they rest-No pain, no purgatory follows; but pure, unmixed

happiness. From their labours-And the more laborious their life

was, the sweeter is their rest. How different this state from

that of those, verse 11, # Rev 14:11 who "have no rest day or

night!" Reader, which wilt thou choose? Their works-Each one's

peculiar works. Follow-or accompany them; that is, the fruit

of their works. Their works do not go before to procure them

admittance into the mansions of joy; but they follow them when

admitted.

Verse 14. In the following verses, under the emblem of an

harvest and a vintage, are signified two general visitations;

first, many good men are taken from the earth by the harvest;

then many sinners during the vintage. The latter is altogether

a penal visitation; the former seems to be altogether gracious.

Here is no reference in either to the day of judgment, but to a

season which cannot be far off. And I saw a white cloud-An

emblem of mercy. And on the cloud sat one like a son of man-An

angel in an human shape, sent by Christ, the Lord both of the

vintage and of the harvest. Having a golden crown on his head-In

token of his high dignity. And a sharp sickle in his hand-The

sharper the welcomer to the righteous.

Verse 15. And another angel came out of the temple-"Which is

in heaven," verse 17. # Rev 14:17 Out of which came the

judgments of God in the appointed seasons.

Verse 16. Crying-By the command of God. Thrust in thy sickle,

for the harvest is ripe-This implies an high degree of holiness

in those good men, and an earnest desire to be with God.

Verse 18. And another angel from the altar-Of burnt offering;

from whence the martyrs had cried for vengeance. Who had power

over fire-As "the angel of the waters,"

# Rev 16:5, had over water.

Cried, saying, Lop off the clusters of the vine of the earth-All

the wicked are considered as constituting one body.

Verse 20. And the winepress was trodden-By the Son of God,

# Rev 19:15.

Without the city-Jerusalem. They to whom St. John writes, when

a man said, "The city," immediately understood this. And blood

came out of the winepress, even to the horses' bridles-So deep

at its first flowing from the winepress! One thousand six hundred

furlongs-So far! at least two hundred miles, through the whole

land of Palestine.

Verse 1. And I saw seven holy angels having the seven last

plagues-Before they had the phials, which were as instruments

whereby those plagues were to be conveyed. They are termed

the last, because by them the wrath of God is fulfilled

-Hitherto. God had borne his enemies with much longsuffering;

but now his wrath goes forth to the uttermost, pouring plagues

on the earth from one end to the other, and round its whole

circumference. But, even after these plagues, the holy wrath

of God against his other enemies does not cease, # Rev 20:15.

Verse 2. The song was sung while the angels were coming out,

with their plagues, who are therefore mentioned both before

and after it, verses 1-6. # Rev 15:1-6

And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire-It was

before "clear as crystal," # Rev 4:6, but now

mingled with fire, which devours the adversaries. And them that

gained, or were gaining, the victory over the wild beast-More of

whom were yet to come. The mark of the beast, the mark of his

name, and the number of his name, seem to mean here nearly

the same thing. Standing at the sea of glass-Which was

before the throne. Having the harps of God-Given by him, and

appropriated to his praise.

Verse 3. And they sing the song of Moses-So called, partly

from its near agreement ,with the words of that song which he

sung after passing the Red Sea, # Exod 15:11, and of that

which he taught the children of Israel a little before his

death, # Deut 32:3,4. But chiefly because Moses was the

minister and representative of the Jewish church, as Christ is

of the church universal. Therefore it is also termed the sons of

the Lamb. It consists of six parts, which answer each other:-

1.Great and wonderful are thy 2.For thou only art gracious.

works, Lord God Almighty.

3.Just and true are thy ways, O 4.For all the nations shall come

King of the nations. and worship before thee.

5.Who would not fear thee, O 6.For thy judgments are made

Lord, and glorify thy name? manifest.

We know and acknowledge that all thy works in and toward all

the creatures are great and wonderful; that thy ways with all

the children of men, good and evil, are just and true. For

thou only art gracious-And this grace is the spring of all

those wonderful works, even of his destroying the enemies of

his people. Accordingly in # Psalm 136:1-26., that clause, "For

his mercy endureth for ever," is subjoined to the thanksgiving

for his works of vengeance as well as for his delivering the

righteous. For all the nations shall come and worship before

thee-They shall serve thee as their king with joyful reverence.

This is a glorious testimony of the future conversion of all the

heathens. The Christians are now a little flock: they who do

not worship God, an immense multitude. But all the nations

shall come, from all parts of the earth, to worship him and

glorify his name. For thy judgments are made manifest-And

then the inhabitants of the earth will at length learn to fear

him.

Verse 5. After these things the temple of the tabernacle of

the testimony-The holiest of all. Was opened-Disclosing a

new theatre for the coming forth of the judgments of God now

made manifest.

Verse 6. And the seven angels came out of the temple-As

having received their instructions from the oracle of God

himself. St. John saw them in heaven, verse 1, # Rev 15:1

before they went into the temple. They appeared in habits like

those the high priest wore when he went into the most holy place

to consult the oracle. In this was the visible testimony of

God's presence. Clothed in pure white linen-Linen is the

habit of service and attendance. Pure-unspotted, unsullied.

White-Or bright and shining, which implies much more than

bare innocence. And having their breasts girt with golden

girdles-In token of their high dignity and glorious rest.

Verse 7. And one of the four living creatures gave the seven

angels-After they were come out of the temple. Seven golden

phials-Or bowls. The Greek word signifies vessels broader at

the top than at the bottom. Full of the wrath of God, who

liveth for ever and ever-A circumstance which adds greatly to

the dreadfulness of his wrath.

Verse 8. And the temple was filled with smoke-The cloud of

glory was the visible manifestation of God's presence in the

tabernacle and temple. It was a sign of protection at erecting

the tabernacle and at the dedication of the temple. But in the

judgment of Korah the glory of the Lord appeared, when he and

his companions were swallowed up by the earth. So proper is

the emblem of smoke from the glory of God, or from the cloud of

glory, to express the execution of judgment, as well as to be a

sign of favour. Both proceed from the power of God, and in both

he is glorified. And none-Not even of those who ordinarily stood

before God. Could go into the temple-That is, into the inmost

part of it. Till the seven plagues of the seven angels were

fulfilled-Which did not take up a long time, like the seven

trumpets, but swiftly followed each other.

Verse 1. Pour out the seven phials-The epistles to the seven

churches are divided into three and four: the seven seals,

and so the trumpets and phials, into four and three. The

trumpets gradually, and in a long tract of time, overthrow

the kingdom of the world: the phials destroy chiefly the

beast and his followers, with a swift and impetuous force.

The four first affect the earth, the sea, the rivers, the

sun; the rest fall elsewhere, and are much more terrible.

Verse 2. And the first went-So the second, third, &c., without

adding angel, to denote the utmost swiftness; of which this also

is a token, that there is no period of time mentioned in the

pouring out of each phial. They have a great resemblance to the

plagues of Egypt, which the Hebrews generally suppose to have

been a month distant from each other. Perhaps so may the phials;

but they are all yet to come. And poured out his phial upon the

earth-Literally taken. And there came a grievous ulcer-As in

Egypt, # Exod 9:10,11.

On the men who had the mark of the wild beast-All of them, and

them only. All those plagues seem to be described in proper, not

figurative, words.

Verse 3. The second poured out his phial upon the sea-As opposed

to the dry land. And it become blood, as of a dead man-Thick,

congealed, and putrid. And every living soul-Men, beasts, and

fishes, whether on or in the sea, died.

Verse 4. The third poured out his phial on the rivers and

fountains of water-Which were over all the earth. And they

became blood-So that none could drink thereof.

Verse 5. The Gracious one-So he is styled when his judgments

are abroad, and that with a peculiar propriety. In the

beginning of the book he is termed "The Almighty." In the

time of his patience, he is praised for his power, which

otherwise might then be less regarded. In the time of his

taking vengeance, for his mercy. Of his power there could

then be no doubt.

Verse 6. Thou host given then, blood to drink-Men do not

drink out of the sea, but out of fountains and rivers.

Therefore this is fitly added here. They are worthy-Is

subjoined with a beautiful abruptness.

Verse 7. Yea-Answering the angel of the waters, and

affirming of God's judgments in general, what he had

said of one particular judgment.

Verse 8. The fourth poured out his phial upon the sun-Which

was likewise affected by the fourth trumpet. There is also a

plain resemblance between the first, second, and third phials,

and the first, second, and third trumpet. And it was given him

-The angel. To scorch the men-Who had the mark of the beast.

With fire-As well as with the beams of the sun. So these four

phials affected earth, water, fire, and air.

Verse 9. And the men blasphemed God, who had power over these

plagues-They could not but acknowledge the hand of God, yet

did they harden themselves against him.

Verse 10. The four first phials are closely connected together;

the fifth concerns the throne of the beast, the sixth the

Mahometans, the seventh chiefly the heathens. The four first

phials and the four first trumpets go round the whole earth; the

three last phials and the three last trumpets go lengthways over

the earth in a straight line.

The fifth poured out his phial upon the throne of the wild beast

-It is not said, "on the beast and his throne." Perhaps the sea

will then be vacant. And his kingdom was darkened-With a lasting,

not a transient, darkness. However the beast as yet has his

kingdom. Afterward the woman sits upon the beast. and then it

is said, "The wild beast is not," # Rev 17:3,7,8.

Verse 11. And they-His followers. Gnawed their tongues-Out

of furious impatience. Because of their pains and because of

their ulcers-Now mentioned together, and in the plural number,

to signify that they were greatly heightened and multiplied.

Verse 12. And the sixth poured out his phial upon the great

river Euphrates-Affected also by the sixth trumpet. And the

water of it-And of all the rivers that flow into it. Was

dried up-The far greater part of the Turkish empire lies on

this side the Euphrates. The Romish and Mahometan affairs

ran nearly parallel to each other for several ages. In the

seventh century was Mahomet himself; and, a little before

him, Boniface III., with his universal bishopric. In the

eleventh, both the Turks and Gregory VII. carried all before

them. In the year 1300, Boniface appeared with his two swords

at the newly-erected jubilee. In the self-same year arose the

Ottoman Porte; yea, and on the same day. And here the phial,

poured out on the throne of the beast, is immediately followed

by that poured out on the Euphrates; that the way of the kings

from the east might be prepared-Those who lie east from the

Euphrates, in Persia, India, &c., who will rush blindfold upon

the plagues which are ready for them, toward the Holy Land, which

lies west of the Euphrates.

Verse 13. Out of the mouth of the dragon, the wild beast,

and the false prophet-It seems, the dragon fights chiefly

against God; the beast, against Christ; the false prophet,

against the Spirit of truth; and that the three unclean spirits

which come from them, and exactly resemble them, endeavour to

blacken the works of creation, of redemption, and of

sanctification. The false prophet-So is the second beast

frequently named, after the kingdom of the first is darkened;

for he can then no longer prevail by main strength, and so

works by lies and deceit. Mahomet was first a false prophet,

and afterwards a powerful prince: but this beast was first

powerful as a prince; afterwards a false prophet, a teacher

of lies. Like frogs-Whose abode is in fens, marshes, and

other unclean places. To the kings of the whole world-Both

Mahometan and pagan. To gather them-To the assistance of

their three principals.

Verse 15. Behold, I come as a thief-Suddenly, unexpectedly.

Observe the beautiful abruptness. I-Jesus Christ. Hear him.

Happy is he that watcheth.-Looking continually for him that

"cometh quickly." And keepeth on his garments-Which men use

to put off when they sleep. Lest he walk naked, and they see

his shame-Lest he lose the graces which he takes no care to

keep, and others see his sin and punishment.

Verse 16. And they gathered them together to Armageddon-Mageddon,

or Megiddo, is frequently mentioned in the Old Testament.

Armageddon signifies the city or the mountain of Megiddo; to

which the valley of Megiddo adjoined. This was a place well

known in ancient times for many memorable occurrences; in

particular, the slaughter of the kings of Canaan, related,

# Judges 5:19. Here the narrative breaks off. It is resumed,

# Rev 19:19.

Verse 17. And the seventh poured out his phial upon the air-Which

encompasses the whole earth. This is the most weighty phial of

all, and seems to take up more time than any of the preceding.

It is done-What was commanded,

verse 1. # Rev 16:1 The phials are poured out.

Verse 18. A great earthquake, such as had not been since men

were upon the earth-It was therefore a literal, not figurative,

earthquake.

Verse 19. And the great city-Namely, Jerusalem, here opposed

to the heathen cities in general, and in particular to Rome.

And the cities of the nations fell-Were utterly overthrown.

And Babylon was remembered before God-He did not forget the

vengeance which was due to her, though the execution of it was

delayed.

Verse 20. Every island and mountain was "moved out of its place,"

# Rev 6:14;

but here they all flee away. What a change must this make in

the face of the terraqueous globe! And yet the end of the world

is not come.

Verse 21. And a great hail falleth out of heaven-From which there

was no defence. From the earthquake men would fly into the

fields; but here also they are met by the hail: nor were they

secure if they returned into the houses, when each hail-stone

weighed sixty pounds.

Verse 1. And there came one of the seven angels, saying, Come

hither-This relation concerning the great whore, and that

concerning the wife of the Lamb, # Rev 21:9,10, have the same

introduction, in token of the exact opposition between them. I

will show thee the judgment of the great whore-Which is now

circumstantially described. That sitteth as a queen-In pomp,

power, ease, and luxury. Upon many waters-Many people and

nations, verse 15. # Rev 17:15

Verse 2. With whom the kings of the earth-Both ancient and

modern, for many ages. Have committed fornication-By partaking

of her idolatry and various wickedness. And the inhabitants of

the earth-The common people. Have been made drunk with the

wine of her fornication-No wine can more thoroughly intoxicate

those who drink it, than false zeal does the followers of the

great whore.

Verse 3. And he carried me away-In the vision. Into a

wilderness-The campagna di Roma, the country round about Rome,

is now a wilderness, compared to what it was once. And I saw a

woman-Both the scripture and other writers frequently represent

a city under this emblem. Sitting upon a scarlet wild beast-The

same which is described in the thirteenth chapter.

# Rev 13:1-18 But he was there described as he carried on his

own designs only: here, as he is connected with the whore. There

is, indeed, a very close connexion between them; the seven heads

of the beast being "seven hills on which the woman sitteth."

And yet there is a very remarkable difference between them,

-between the papal power and the city of Rome. This woman is

the city of Rome, with its buildings and inhabitants; especially

the nobles. The beast, which is now scarlet-coloured, (bearing

the bloody livery, as well as the person, of the woman,) appears

very different from before. Therefore St. John says at first

sight, I saw a beast, not the beast, full of names of blasphemy

-He had' before "a name of blasphemy upon his head," # Rev 13:1:

now he has many. From the time of Hildebrand, the blasphemous

titles of the Pope have been abundantly multiplied. Having seven

heads-Which reach in a succession from his ascent out of the sea

to his being cast into the lake of fire. And ten horns-Which are

contemporary with each other, and belong to his last period.

Verse 4. And the woman was arrayed-With the utmost pomp and

magnificence. In purple and scarlet-These were the colours of

the imperial habit: the purple, in times of peace; and the

scarlet, in times of war. Having in her hand a golden cup-Like

the ancient Babylon, # Jer 51:7.

Full of abominations-The most abominable doctrines as well as

practices.

Verse 5. And on her forehead a name written-Whereas the saints

have the name of God and the Lamb on their foreheads. Mystery

-This very word was inscribed on the front of the Pope's mitre,

till some of the Reformers took public notice of it. Babylon the

great-Benedict XIII., in his proclamation of the jubilee, A.D.

1725, explains this sufficiently. His words are, "To this holy

city, famous for the memory of so many holy martyrs, run with

religious alacrity. Hasten to the place which the Lord hath

chose. Ascend to this new Jerusalem, whence the law of the Lord

and the light of evangelical truth hath flowed forth into all

nations, from the very first beginning of the church: the city

most rightfully called 'The Palace,' placed for the pride of all

ages, the city of the Lord, the Sion of the Holy One of Israel.

This catholic and apostolical Roman church is the head of the

world, the mother of all believers, the faithful interpreter of

God and mistress of all churches." But God somewhat varies the

style. The mother of harlots-The parent, ringleader, patroness,

and nourisher of many daughters, that losely copy after her. And

abominations-Of every kind, spiritual and fleshly. Of the earth

-In all lands. In this respect she is indeed catholic or

universal.

Verse 6. And I saw the woman drunk with the blood of the saints

-So that Rome may well be called, "The slaughter-house of the

martyrs." She hath shed much Christian blood in every age; but

at length she is even drunk with it, at the time to which this

vision refers. The witnesses of Jesus-The preachers of his word.

And I wondered exceedingly-At her cruelty and the patience of God.

Verse 7. I will tell thee the mystery-The hidden meaning of this.

Verse 8. The beast which thou sawest

(namely, verse 3) # Rev 17:3

was, &c.-This is a very observable and punctual description of

the beast, verses 8, 10, 11. # Rev 17:8,10,11 His whole

duration is here divided into three periods, which are expressed

in a fourfold manner.

I. He, 1. Was; 2 And is not; 3. And will ascend out of the

bottomless pit, and go into perdition.

II. He, 1. Was; 2. And is not; 3. And will be again.

III. The seven heads are seven hills and seven kings: 1. Five

are fallen; 2. One is; 3. The other is not come; and when

he cometh, he must continue a short space.

IV. He, 1. Was; 2. And is not; 3 Even he is the eighth, and is

one of the seven, and goeth into perdition.

The first of these three is described in the thirteenth chapter.

# Rev 13:1-18 This was past when the angel spoke to St. John.

The second was then in its course; the third woe to come. And

is not-The fifth phial brought darkness upon his kingdom: the

woman took this advantage to seat herself upon him. Then it

might be said, He is not. Yet shall he afterwards ascend out

of the bottomless pit-Arise again with diabolical strength and

fury. But he will not reign long: soon after his ascent he goeth

into perdition for ever.

Verse 9. Here is the mind that hath wisdom-Only those who are

wise will understand this. The seven heads are seven hills.

Verse 10. And they are seven kings-Anciently there were royal

palaces on all the seven Roman bills. These were the Palatine,

Capitoline, Coelian, Exquiline, Viminal, Quirinal, Aventine

hills. But the prophecy respects the seven hills at the time

of the beast, when the Palatine was deserted and the Vatican in

use. Not that the seven heads mean hills distinct from kings;

but they have a compound meaning, implying both together.

Perhaps the first head of the beast is the Coelian hill, and on

it the Lateran, with Gregory VII. and his successors; the second,

the Vatican with the church of St. Peter, chosen by Boniface

VIII. the third, the Quirinal, with the church of St. Mark, and

the Quirinal palace built by Paul II. and the fourth, the

Exquiline hill, with the temple of St. Maria Maggiore, where

Paul V. reigned. The fifth will be added hereafter. Accordingly,

in the papal register, four periods are observable since Gregory

VII. In the first almost all the bulls made in the city are

dated in the Lateran; in the second, at St. Peter's; in the

third, at St. Mark's, or in the Quirinal; in the fourth, at St.

Maria Maggiore. But no fifth, sixth, or seventh hill has yet

been the residence of any Pope. Not that the hill was deserted,

when another was made the papal residence; but a new one was

added to the other sacred palaces.

Perhaps the times hitherto mentioned might be fixed thus:-

1058. Wings are given to the woman.

1077. The beast ascends out of the sea.

1143. The forty-two months begin.

1810. The forty-two months end.

1832. The beast ascends out of the bottomless pit.

1836. The beast finally overthrown.

The fall of those five kings seems to imply, not only the death

of the Popes who reigned on those hills, but also such a

disannulling of all they had done there, that it will be said,

The beast is not; the royal power, which had so long been lodged

in the Pope, being then transferred to the city. One is, the

other is not yet come-These two are remarkably distinguished from

the five preceding, whom they succeed in their turns. The former

of them will continue not a short space, as may be gathered

from what is said of the latter: the former is under the

government of Babylon; the latter is with the beast.

In this second period, one is, at the same time that the beast

is not. Even then there will be a Pope, though not with the

power which his predecessors had. And he will reside on one of

the remaining hills, leaving the seventh for his successor.

Verse 11. And the wild beast that was, and is not, even he is

the eighth-When the time of his not being is over. The beast

consists, as it were, of eight parts. The seven heads are seven

of them; and the eighth is his whole body, or the beast himself.

Yet the beast himself, though he is in a sense termed the eighth,

is of the seven, yea, contains them all. The whole succession of

Popes from Gregory VII. are undoubtedly antichrist. Yet this

hinders not, but that the last Pope in this succession will be

more eminently the antichrist, the man of sin, adding to that

of his predecessors a peculiar degree of wickedness from the

bottomless pit. This individual person, as Pope, is the seventh

head of the beast; as the man of sin, he is the eighth, or the

beast himself.

Verse 12. The ten horns are ten kings-It is nowhere said that

these horns are on the beast, or on his heads. And he is said

to have them, not as he is one of the seven, but as he is the

eighth. They are ten secular potentates, contemporary with, not

succeeding, each other, who receive authority as kings with the

beast, probably in some convention, which, after a very short

space, they will deliver up to the beast. Because of their

short continuance, only authority as kings, not a kingdom, is

ascribed to them. While they retain this authority together with

the beast, he will be stronger than ever before; but far stronger

still, when their power is also transferred to him.

Verse 13. In the thirteenth and fourteenth verses # Rev 17:13,14

is summed up what is afterwards mentioned, concerning the horns

and the beast, in this and the two following chapters. These

have one mind, and give-They all, with one consent, give their

warlike power and royal authority to the wild beast.

Verse 14. These-Kings with the beast. He is Lord of lords

-Rightful sovereign of all, and ruling all things well. And

King of kings-As a king he fights with and conquers all his

enemies. And they that are with him-Beholding his victory,

are such as were, while in the body, called, by his word and

Spirit. And chosen-Taken out of the world, when they were

enabled to believe in him. And faithful-Unto death.

Verse 15. People, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues-It

is not said tribes: for Israel hath nothing to do with Rome in

particular.

Verse 16. And shall eat her flesh-Devour her immense riches.

Verse 17. For God hath put it into their heart-Which indeed no

less than almighty power could have effected. To execute his

sentence-till the words of God-Touching the overthrow of all his

enemies, should be fulfilled.

Verse 18. The woman is the great city, which reigneth-Namely,

while the beast "is not," and the woman "sitteth upon him."

Verse 1. And I saw another angel coming down out of heaven

-Termed another, with respect to him who "came down out of

heaven," # Rev 10:1.

And the earth was enlightened with his glory-To make his coming

more conspicuous. If such be the lustre of the servant, what

images can display the majesty of the Lord, who has "thousand

thousands" of those glorious attendants "ministering to him,

and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before him?"

Verse 2. And he cried, Babylon is fallen-This fall was

mentioned before, # Rev 14:8; but is now declared at large.

And is become an habitation-A free abode. Of devils, and an

hold-A prison. Of every unclean spirit-Perhaps confined there

where they had once practised all uncleanness, till the judgment

of the great day. How many horrid inhabitants hath desolate

Babylon! of invisible beings, devils, and unclean spirits; of

visible, every unclean beast, every filthy and hateful bird.

Suppose, then, Babylon to mean heathen Rome; what have the

Romanists gained, seeing from the time of that destruction, which

they say is past, these are to be its only inhabitants for ever.

Verse 4. And I heard another voice-Of Christ, whose people,

secretly scattered even there, are warned of her approaching

destruction. That ye be not partakers of her sins-That is, of

the fruits of them.

What a remarkable providence it was that the Revelation was

printed in the midst of Spain, in the great Polyglot Bible,

before the Reformation! Else how much easier had it been for

the Papists to reject the whole book, than it is to evade these

striking parts of it.

Verse 5. Even to heaven-An expression which implies the

highest guilt.

Verse 6. Reward her-This God speaks to the executioners of his

vengeance. Even as she hath rewarded-Others; in particular,

the saints of God. And give her double-This, according to the

Hebrew idiom, implies only a full retaliation.

Verse 7. As much as she hath glorified herself-By pride, and

pomp, and arrogant boasting. And lived deliciously-In all kinds

of elegance, luxury, and wantonness. So much torment give her

-Proportioning the punishment to the sin. Because she saith in

her heart-As did ancient Babylon,

# Isai 47:8,9.

I sit-Her usual style. Hence those expressions, "The chair, the

see of Rome: he sat so many years." As a queen-Over many kings,

"mistress of all churches; the supreme; the infallible; the only

spouse of Christ; out of which there is no salvation." And am

no widow-But the spouse of Christ. And shall see no sorrow-From

the death of my children, or any other calamity; for God himself

will defend "the church."

Verse 8. Therefore-as both the natural and judicial consequence

of this proud security Shall her plagues come-The death of her

children, with an incapacity of bearing more. Sorrow-of every

kind. And famine-In the room of luxurious plenty: the very

things from which she imagined herself to be most safe. For

strong is the Lord God who judgeth her-Against whom therefore all

her strength, great as it is, will not avail.

Verse 10. Thou strong city-Rome was anciently termed by its

inhabitants, Valentia, that is, strong. And the word Rome

itself, in Greek, signifies strength. This name was given it

by the Greek strangers.

Verse 12. Merchandise of gold, &c.-Almost all these are still

in use at Rome, both in their idolatrous service, and in common

life. Fine linen-The sort of it mentioned in the original is

exceeding costly. Thyine wood-A sweet-smelling wood not unlike

citron, used in adorning magnificent palaces. Vessels of most

precious wood-Ebony, in particular, which is often mentioned

with ivory: the one excelling in whiteness, the other in

blackness; and both in uncommon smoothness.

Verse 13. Amomum-A shrub whose wood is a fine perfume. And

beasts-Cows and oxen. And of chariots-a purely Latin word is

here inserted in the Greek. This St. John undoubtedly used on

purpose, in describing the luxury of Rome. And of bodies-A

common term for slaves. And souls of men-For these also are

continually bought and sold at Rome. And this of all others

is the most gainful merchandise to the Roman traffickers.

Verse 14. And the fruits-From what was imported they proceed to

the domestic delicates of Rome; none of which is in greater

request there, than the particular sort which is here mentioned.

The word properly signifies, pears, peaches, nectarines, and all

of the apple and plum kinds. And all things that are dainty-To

the taste. And splendid-To the sight; as clothes, buildings,

furniture.

Verse 19. And they cast dust on their heads-As mourners. Most of

the expressions here used in describing the downfall of Babylon are

taken from Ezekiel's description of the downfall of Tyre,

# Ezek 26:1 - Eze 28:19.

Verse 20. Rejoice over her, thou heaven-That is, all the

inhabitants of it; and more especially, ye saints; and among

the saints still more eminently, ye apostles and prophets.

Verse 21. And a mighty angel took up a stone, and threw it into

the sea-By a like emblem Jeremiah fore-showed the fall of the

Chaldean Babylon, # Jer 51:63,64.

Verse 22. And the voice of harpers-Players on stringed

instruments. And musicians-Skilful singers in particular.

And pipers-Who played on flutes, chiefly on mournful, whereas

trumpeters played on joyful, occasions. Shall be heard no more

in thee; and no artificer-Arts of every kind, particularly music,

sculpture, painting, and statuary, were there carried to their

greatest height. No, nor even the sound of a mill-stone shall

be heard any more in thee-Not only the arts that adorn life,

but even those employments without which it cannot subsist, will

cease from thee for ever. All these expressions denote absolute

and eternal desolation. The voice of harpers-Music was the

entertainment of the rich and great; trade, the business of men

of middle rank; preparing bread and the necessaries of life, the

employment of the lowest people: marriages, in which lamps and

songs were known ceremonies, are the means of peopling cities, as

new births supply the place of those that die. The desolation of

Rome is therefore described in such a manner, as to show that

neither rich nor poor, neither persons of middle rank, nor those

of the lowest condition, should be able to live there any more.

Neither shall it be repeopled by new marriages, but remain

desolate and uninhabited for ever.

Verse 23. For thy merchants were the great men of the earth-A

circumstance which was in itself indifferent, and yet led them

into pride, luxury, and numberless other sins.

Verse 24. And in her was found the blood of the prophets and

saints-The same angel speaks still, yet he does not say "in

thee," but in her, now so sunk as not to hear these last words.

And of all that had been slain-Even before she was built.

See # Matt 23:35. There is no city under the sun which has so

clear a title to catholic blood-guiltiness as Rome. The guilt

of the blood shed under the heathen emperors has not been removed

under the Popes, but hugely multiplied. Nor is Rome accountable

only for that which hath been shed in the city, but for that shed

in all the earth. For at Rome under the Pope, as well as under

the heathen emperors, were the bloody orders and edicts given:

and whereever the blood of holy men was shed, there were the

grand rejoicings for it. And what immense quantities of blood

have been shed by her agents! Charles IX., of France, in his

letter to Gregory XIII., boasts, that in and not long after the

massacre of Paris, he had destroyed seventy thousand Hugonots.

Some have computed, that, from the year 1518, to 1548, fifteen

millions of Protestants have perished by the Inquisition. This

may be overcharged; but certainly the number of them in those

thirty years, as well as since, is almost incredible. To these

we may add innumerable martyrs, in ancient, middle, and late

ages, in Bohemia, Germany, Holland, France, England, Ireland,

and many other parts of Europe, Afric, and Asia.

Verse 1. I heard a loud voice of a great multitude-Whose blood

the great whore had shed. Saying, Hallelujah-This Hebrew word

signifies, Praise ye Jah, or Him that is. God named himself to

Moses, EHEIEH, that is, I will be,

# Exod 3:14; and at the same time, "Jehovah," that is, "He that

is, and was, and is to come:" during the trumpet of the seventh

angel, he is styled, "He that is and was,"

# Rev 16:5; and not "He that is to come;" because his

long-expected coming is under this trumpet actually present.

At length he is styled, "Jah," "He that is;" the past together

with the future being swallowed up in the present, the former

things being no more mentioned, for the greatness of those that

now are. This title is of all others the most peculiar to the

everlasting God. The salvation-Is opposed to the destruction

which the great whore had brought upon the earth. His power and

glory-Appear from the judgment executed on her, and from the

setting up his kingdom to endure through all ages.

Verse 2. For true and righteous are his judgments-Thus is the

cry of the souls under the altar changed into a song of praise.

Verse 4. And the four and twenty elders, and the four living

creatures felt down-The living creatures are nearer the throne

than the elders. Accordingly they are mentioned before them,

with the praise they render to God, # Rev 4:9,10; 5:8,14;

inasmuch as there the praise moves from the centre to the

circumference. But here, when God's judgments are fulfilled,

it moves back from the circumference to the centre. Here,

therefore, the four and twenty elders are named before

the living creatures.

Verse 5. And a voice came forth from the throne-Probably from

the four living creatures, saying, Praise our God-The occasion

and matter of this song of praise follow immediately after,

verses 6, # Rev 19:6 &c.; God was praised before, for his

judgment of the great whore, verses 1-4. # Rev 19:1-4 Now

for that which follows it: for that the Lord God, the Almighty,

takes the kingdom to himself, and avenges himself on the rest of

his enemies. Were all these inhabitants of heaven mistaken? If

not, there is real, yea, and terrible anger in God.

Verse 6. And I heard the voice of a great multitude. So all his

servants did praise him. The Almighty reigneth-More eminently

and gloriously than ever before.

Verse 7. The marriage of the Lamb is come-Is near at hand, to be

solemnized speedily. What this implies, none of "the spirits of

just men," even in paradise, yet know. O what things are those

which are yet behind! And what purity of heart should there be,

to meditate upon them! And his wife hath made herself ready-Even

upon earth; but in a far higher sense, in that world. After a

time allowed for this, the new Jerusalem comes down, both made

ready and adorned, # Rev 21:2.

Verse 8. And it is given to her-By God. The bride is all holy

men, the whole invisible church. To be arrayed in fine linen,

white and clean-This is an emblem of the righteousness of the

saints-Both of their justification and sanctification.

Verse 9. And he-The angel, saith to me, Write-St. John seems to

have been so amazed at these glorious sights, that he needeth

to be reminded of this. Happy are they who are invited to the

marriage supper of the Lamb-Called to glory. And he saith-After

a little pause.

Verse 10. And I fell before his feet to worship him-It seems,

mistaking him for the angel of the covenant. But he saith,

See thou do it not-In the original, it is only, See not, with

a beautiful abruptness. To pray to or worship the highest

creature is flat idolatry. I am thy fellowservant and of thy

brethren that have the testimony of Jesus-I am now employed

as your fellowservant, to testify of the Lord Jesus, by the

same Spirit which inspired the prophets of old.

Verse 11. And I saw the heaven opened-This is a new and peculiar

opening of it, in order to show the magnificent expedition of

Christ and his attendants, against his great adversary. And

behold a white horse-Many little regarded Christ, when he came

meek, "riding upon an ass;" but what will they say, when he goes

forth upon his white horse, with the sword of his mouth? White

-Such as generals use in solemn triumph. And he that sitteth on

him, called Faithful-In performing all his promises. And True

-In executing all his threatenings. And in righteousness-With

the utmost justice. He judgeth and maketh war-Often the sentence

and execution go together.

Verse 12. And his eyes are a flame of fire-They were said to be

as or like a flame of fire, before, # Rev 1:14; an emblem of his

omniscience. And upon his head are many diadems-For he is king

of all nations. And he hath a name written, which none knoweth

but himself-As God he is incomprehensible to every creature.

Verse 13. And he is clothed in a vesture dipped in blood-The

blood of the enemies he hath already conquered. # Isaiah 63:1, &c

Verse 15. And he shall rule them-Who are not slain by his

sword. With a rod of iron-That is, if they will not submit to

his golden sceptre. And he treadeth the wine press of the wrath

of God-That is, he executes his judgments on the ungodly.

This ruler of the nations was born (or appeared as such)

immediately after the seventh angel began to sound. He now

appears, not as a child, but as a victorious warrior. The

nations have long ago felt his "iron rod," partly while the

heathen Romans, after their savage persecution of the Christians,

themselves groaned under numberless plagues and calamities, by

his righteous vengeance; partly, while other heathens have been

broken in pieces by those who bore the Christian name. For

although the cruelty, for example, of the Spaniards in America,

was unrighteous and detestable, yet did God therein execute his

righteous judgment on the unbelieving nations; but they shall

experience his iron rod as they never did yet, and then will

they all return to their rightful Lord.

Verse 16. And he hath on his vesture and on his thigh-That is,

on the part of his vesture which is upon his thigh. A name

written-It was usual of old, for great personages in the eastern

countries, to have magnificent titles affixed to their garments.

Verse 17. Gather yourselves together to the great supper of

God-As to a great feast, which the vengeance of God will

soon provide; a strongly figurative expression, (taken from

# Ezekiel 39:17,) denoting the vastness of the ensuing

slaughter.

Verse 19. And I saw the kings of the earth-The ten kings

mentioned # Rev 17:12; who had now drawn the other kings of the

earth to them, whether Popish, Mahometan, or pagan. Gathered

together to make war with him that sat upon the horse-All beings,

good and evil, visible and invisible, will be concerned in this

grand contest. See # Zech 14:1, &c.

Verse 20. The false prophet, who had wrought the miracles before

him-And therefore shared in his punishment; these two ungodly

men were cast alive-Without undergoing bodily death. Into the

lake of fire-And that before the devil himself,

# Rev 20:10.

Here is the last of the beast. After several repeated strokes

of omnipotence, he is gone alive into hell. There were two that

went alive into heaven; perhaps there are two that go alive into

hell. It may be, Enoch and Elijah entered at once into glory,

without first waiting in paradise; the beast and the false

prophet plunge at once into the extremest degree of torment,

without being reserved in chains of darkness till the judgment

of the great day. Surely, none but the beast of Rome would

have hardened himself thus against the God he pretended to

adore, or refused to have repented under such dreadful, repeated

visitations! Well is he styled a beast, from his carnal and

vile affections; a wild beast, from his savage and cruel spirit!

The rest were slain-A like difference is afterwards made between

the devil, and Gog and Magog, # Rev 20:9,10.

Verse 21. Here is a most magnificent description of the overthrow

of the beast and his adherents. It has, in particular, one

exquisite beauty; that, after exhibiting the two opposite armies,

and all the apparatus for a battle, verses 11-19;

# Rev 19:11-19 then follows immediately, verse 20, # 19:20

the account of the victory, without one word of an engagement

or fighting. Here is the most exact propriety; for what

struggle can there be between omnipotence, and the power of

all the creation united against it! Every description must

have fallen short of this admirable silence.

CHAP. XX. Verse 1. And I saw an angel decending out of heaven

-Coming down with a commission from God. Jesus Christ himself

overthrew the beast: the proud dragon shall be bound by an

angel; even as he and his angels were cast out of heaven by

Michael and his angels. Having the key of the bottomless pit

-Mentioned before, # Rev 9:1.

And a great chain in his hand-The angel of the bottomless pit

was shut up therein before the beginning of the first woe. But

it is now first that Satan, after he had occasioned the third

woe, is both chained and shut up.

Verse 2. And he laid hold on the dragon-With whom undoubtedly

his angels were now cast into the bottomless pit, as well as

finally "into everlasting fire," # Matt 25:41.

And bound him a thousand years-That these thousand do not

precede, or run parallel with, but wholly follow, the times of

the beast, may manifestly appear, 1. From the series of the

whole book, representing one continued chain of events. 2. From

the circumstances which precede. The woman's bringing forth is

followed by the casting of the dragon out of heaven to the

earth. With this is connected the third woe, whereby the dragon

through, and with, the beast, rages horribly. At the conclusion

of the third woe the beast is overthrown and cast into "the lake

of fire." At the same time the other grand enemy, the dragon,

shall be bound and shut up. 3. These thousand years bring a

new, full, and lasting immunity from all outward and inward

evils, the authors of which are now removed, and an affluence

of all blessings. But such time the church has never yet seen.

Therefore it is still to come. 4. These thousand years are

followed by the last times of the world, the letting loose of

Satan, who gathers together Gog and Magog, and is thrown to

the beast and false prophet "in the lake of fire." Now

Satan's accusing the saints in heaven, his rage on earth, his

imprisonment in the abyss, his seducing Gog and Magog, and being

cast into the lake of fire, evidently succeed each other. 5.

What occurs from # Rev 20:11 - Rev 22:5, manifestly follows the

things related in the nineteenth chapter. The thousand years

came between; whereas if they were past, neither the beginning

nor the end of them would fall within this period. In a short

time those who assert that they are now at hand will appear to

have spoken the truth. Meantime let every man consider what

kind of happiness he expects therein. The danger does not lie

in maintaining that the thousand years are yet to come; but in

interpreting them, whether past or to come, in a gross and

carnal sense. The doctrine of the Son of God is a mystery. So

is his cross; and so is his glory. In all these he is a sign

that is spoken against. Happy they who believe and confess him

in all!

Verse 3. And set a seal upon him-How far these expressions are

to be taken literally, how far figuratively only, who can tell?

That he might deceive the nations no more-One benefit only is

here expressed, as resulting from the confinement of Satan. But

how many and great blessings are implied! For the grand enemy

being removed, the kingdom of God holds on its uninterrupted

course among the nations; and the great mystery of God, so long

foretold, is at length fulfilled; namely, when the beast is

destroyed and Satan bound. This fulfilment approaches nearer

and nearer; and contains things of the utmost importance, the

knowledge of which becomes every day more distinct and easy.

In the mean time it is highly necessary to guard against the

present rage and subtilty of the devil. Quickly he will be

bound: when he is loosed again, the martyrs will live and

reign with Christ. Then follow his coming in glory, the new

heaven, new earth, and new Jerusalem. The bottomless pit is

properly the devil's prison; afterwards he is cast into the

lake of fire. He can deceive the nations no more till the

"thousand years," mentioned before, verse 2, # Rev 20:2 are

fulfilled. Then he must be loosed-So does the mysterious wisdom

of God permit. For a small time-Small comparatively: though

upon the whole it cannot be very short, because the things to

be transacted therein, verses 8, 9, # Rev 20:8,9 must take up

a considerable space. We are very shortly to expect, one after

another, the calamities occasioned by the second beast, the

harvest and the vintage, the pouring out of the phials, the

judgment of Babylon, the last raging of the beast and his

destruction, the imprisonment of Satan. How great things these!

and how short the time! What is needful for us? Wisdom,

patience, faithfulness, watchfulness. It is no time to settle

upon our lees. This is not, if it be rightly understood, an

acceptable message to the wise, the mighty, the honourable, of

this world. Yet that which is to be done, shall be done: there

is no counsel against the Lord.

Verse 4. And I saw thrones-Such as are promised the apostles,

# Matt 19:28; Luke 22:30.

And they-Namely, the saints, whom St. John saw at the same time,

# Dan 7:22,

sat upon them; and Judgment was given to them.

# 1Cor 6:2. Who, and how many, these are, is not said. But

they are distinguished from the souls, or persons, mentioned

immediately after; and from the saints already raised. And I saw

the souls of those who had been beheaded-With the axe: so

the original word signifies. One kind of death, which was

particularly inflicted at Rome, is mentioned for all. For the

testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God-The martyrs were

sometimes killed for the word of God in general; sometimes

particularly for the testimony of Jesus: the one, while they

refused to worship idols; the other, while they confessed the

name of Christ. And those who had not worshipped the wild beast,

nor his image-These seem to be a company distinct from those who

appeared, # Rev 15:2. Those overcame, probably, in such contests

as these had not. Before the number of the beast was expired,

the people were compelled to worship him, by the most dreadful

violence. But when the beast "was not," they were only seduced

into it by the craft of the false prophet. And they lived-Their

souls and bodies being re-united. And reigned with Christ-Not on

earth, but in heaven. The "reigning on earth" mentioned,

# Rev 11:15, is quite different from this.

A thousand years-It must be observed, that two distinct

thousand years are mentioned throughout this whole passage.

Each is mentioned thrice; the thousand wherein Satan is bound,

verses 2, 3, 7; # Rev 20:2,3,7, the thousand wherein the

saints shall reign, verses 4-6. # Rev 20:4-6

The former end before the end of the world; the latter reach to

the general resurrection. So that the beginning and end of the

former thousand is before the beginning and end of the latter.

Therefore as in the second verse, # Rev 20:2 at the first

mention of the former; so in the fourth verse, # Rev 20:2 at

the first mention of the latter, it is only said, a thousand

years; in the other places, "the thousand," verses 3, 5, 7,

# Rev 20:3,5,7 that is, the thousand mentioned before. During

the former, the promises concerning the flourishing state of the

church, # Rev 10:7, shall be fulfilled; during the latter,

while the saints reign with Christ in heaven, men on earth will

be careless and secure.

Verse 5. The rest of the dead lived not till the thousand years

-Mentioned, verse # 4.

Were ended-The thousand years during which Satan is bound both

begin and end much sooner.

The small time, and the second thousand years, begin at the

same point, immediately after the first thousand. But neither

the beginning of the first nor of the second thousand will be

known to the men upon earth, as both the imprisonment of Satan

and his loosing are transacted in the invisible world.

By observing these two distinct thousand years, many

difficulties are avoided. There is room enough for the

fulfilling of all the prophecies, and those which before seemed

to clash are reconciled; particularly those which speak, on the

one hand, of a most flourishing state of the church as yet to

come; and, on the other, of the fatal security of men in the

last days of the world.

Verse 6. They shall be priests of God and of Christ-Therefore

Christ is God. And shall reign with him-With Christ, a thousand

years.

Verse 7. And when the former thousand years are fulfilled, Satan

shall be loosed out of his prison-At the same time that the first

resurrection begins. There is a great resemblance between this

passage and # Rev 12:12. At the casting out of the dragon,

there was joy in heaven, but there was woe upon earth: so at the

loosing of Satan, the saints begin to reign with Christ; but the

nations on earth are deceived.

Verse 8. And shall go forth to deceive the nations in the four

corners of the earth-(That is, in all the earth)-the more

diligently, as he hath been so long restrained, and knoweth he

hath but a small time. Gog and Magog-Magog, the second son of

Japhet, is the father of the innumerable northern nations toward

the east. The prince of these nations, of which the bulk of that

army will consist, is termed Gog by Ezekiel also, # Ezek 38:2.

Both Gog and Magog signify high or lifted up; a name well

suiting both the prince and people. When that fierce leader of

many nations shall appear, then will his own name be known. To

gather them-Both Gog and his armies. Of Gog, little more

is said, as being soon mingled with the rest in the common

slaughter. The Revelation speaks of this the more briefly,

because it had been so particularly described by Ezekiel.

Whose number is as the sand of the sea-Immensely numerous:

a proverbial expression.

Verse 9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, or the

land-Filling the whole breadth of it. And surrounded the camp

of the saints-Perhaps the gentile church, dwelling round

about Jerusalem. And the beloved city-So termed, likewise,

Ecclesiasticus xxiv. 11.

Verse 10. And they-All these. Shall be tormented day and night

-That is, without any intermission. Strictly speaking, there is

only night there: no day, no sun, no hope!

Verse 11. And I saw-A representation of that great day of the

Lord. A great white throne-How great, who can say? White with

the glory of God, of him that sat upon it,-Jesus Christ. The

apostle does not attempt to describe him here; only adds that

circumstance, far above all description, From whose face the

earth and the heaven fled away-Probably both the aerial and the

starry heaven; which "shall pass away with a great noise." And

there was found no place for them-But they were wholly dissolved,

the very "elements melting with fervent heat." It is not said,

they were thrown into great commotions, but they fled entirely

away; not, they started from their foundations, but they " fell

into dissolution;" not, they removed to a distant place, but

there was found no place for them; they ceased to exist; they

were no more. And all this, not at the strict command of the

Lord Jesus; not at his awful presence, or before his fiery

indignation; but at the bare presence of his Majesty, sitting

with severe but adorable dignity on his throne.

Verse 12. And I saw the dead, great and small-Of every age and

condition. This includes, also, those who undergo a change

equivalent to death, # 1Cor 15:51.

And the books-Human judges have their books written with pen and

ink: how different is the nature of these books! Were opened-O

how many hidden things will then come to light; and how many will

have quite another appearance than they had before in the sight

of men! With the book of God's omniscience, that of conscience

will then exactly tally. The book of natural law, as well as

of revealed, will then also be displayed. It is not said, The

books will be read: the light of that day will make them visible

to all. Then, particularly, shall every man know himself, and

that with the last exactness This will be the first true, full,

impartial, universal history. And another book-Wherein are

enrolled all that are accepted through the Beloved; all who lived

and died in the faith that worketh by love. Which is the book of

life, was opened-What manner of expectation will then be, with

regard to the issue of the whole! # Mal 3:16, &c.

Verse 13. Death and hades gave up the dead that were in them

-Death gave up all the bodies of men; and hades, the receptacle

of separate souls, gave them up, to be re-united to their bodies.

Verse 14. And death and hades were cast into the lake of fire

-That is, were abolished for ever; for neither the righteous

nor the wicked were to die any more: their souls and bodies

were no more to be separated. Consequently, neither death nor

hades could any more have a being.

V. 1. And I saw-So it runs, # Rev 19:11, 20:1,4,11, in a

succession. All these several representations follow one another in order:

so the vision reaches into eternity. A new heaven and a new earth-After

the resurrection and general judgment. St. John is not now describing a

flourishing state of the church, but a new and eternal state of all things.

For the first heaven and the first earth-Not only the lowest part of

heaven, not only the solar system, but the whole ethereal heaven, with all

its host, whether of planets or fixed stars, # Isai 34:4 Matt 24:29.

All the former things will be done away, that all may become new,

verses # 4,5, 2Peter 3:10,12.

Are passed away-But in the fourth verse it is said, "are gone away."

There the stronger word is used; for death, mourning, and sorrow go away

all together: the former heaven and earth only pass away, giving place

to the new heaven and the new earth.

Verse 2. And I saw the holy city-The new heaven, the new earth,

and the new Jerusalem, are closely connected. This city is

wholly new, belonging not to this world, not to the millennium,

but to eternity. This appears from the series of the vision,

the magnificence of the description, and the opposition of this

city to the second death, # Rev 20:11,12; 21:1,2,5,8,9; 22:5.

Coming down-In the very act of descending.

Verse 3. They shall be his people, and God himself shall be with

them, and be their God-So shall the covenant between God and his

people be executed in the most glorious manner.

Verse 4. And death shall be no more-This is a full proof that

this whole description belongs not to time, but eternity.

Neither shall sorrow, or crying, or pain, be any more: for the

former things are gone away-Under the former heaven, and upon

the former earth, there was death and sorrow, crying and pain;

all which occasioned many tears: but now pain and sorrow are

fled away, and the saints have everlasting life and joy.

Verse 5. And he that sat upon the throne said-Not to St. John

only. From the first mention of "him that sat upon the throne,"

# Rev 4:2, this is the first speech which is expressly ascribed

to him. And he-The angel. Saith to me Write-As follows.

These sayings are faithful and true-This includes all that went

before. The apostle seems again to have ceased writing, being

overcome with ecstasy at the voice of him that spake.

Verse 6. And he-That sat upon the throne. Said to me, It is

done-All that the prophets had spoken; all that was spoken,

# Rev 4:1. We read this expression twice in this prophecy:

first, # Rev 16:17, at the fulfilling of the wrath of God;

and here, at the making all things new. I am the Alpha and the

Omega, the beginning and the end-The latter explains the former:

the Everlasting. I will give to him that thirsteth-The Lamb

saith the same, # Rev 22:17.

Verse 7. He that overcometh-Which is more than, "he that

thirsteth." Shall inherit these things-Which I have made new.

I will be his God, and he shall be my son-Both in the Hebrew

and Greek language, in which the scriptures were written, what

we translate shall and will are one and the same word. The only

difference consists in an English translation, or in the want of

knowledge in him that interprets what he does not understand.

Verse 8. But the fearful and unbelieving-Who, through want of

courage and faith, do not overcome. And abominable-That is,

sodomites. And whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters-These

three sins generally went together; their part is in the lake.

Verse 9. And there came one of the seven angels that had the

seven phials-Whereby room had been made for the kingdom of God.

Saying, Come, I will show thee the bride-The same angel had

before showed him Babylon, # Rev 17:1, which is directly

opposed to the new Jerusalem.

Verse 10. And he carried me away in the spirit-The same

expression as before, # Rev 17:3.

And showed me the holy city Jerusalem-The old city is now

forgotten, so that this is no longer termed the new, but

absolutely Jerusalem. O how did St. John long to enter in! but

the time was not yet come. Ezekiel also describes "the holy

city," and what pertains thereto, xl.-xlviii. # Eze 40:1-Eze 48:35

but a city quite different from the old Jerusalem, as it was

either before or after the Babylonish captivity. The descriptions

of the prophet and of the apostle agree in many particulars; but

in many more they differ. Ezekiel expressly describes the temple,

and the worship of God therein, closely alluding to the Levitical

service. But St. John saw no temple, and describes the city far

more large, glorious, and heavenly than the prophet. Yet that

which he describes is the same city; but as it subsisted soon

after the destruction of the beast. This being observed, both

the prophecies agree together and one may explain the other.

Verse 11. Having the glory of God-For her light, verse 23,

# Rev 21:23, Isaiah 40:1,2, Zech 2:5.

Her window-There was only one, which ran all round the city.

The light did not come in from without through this for the

glory of God is within the city. But it shines out from within

to a great distance, verses 23, 24. # Rev 21:23,24

Verse 12. Twelve angels-Still waiting upon the heirs of salvation.

Verse 14. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on

them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb-Figuratively

showing that the inhabitants of the city had built only on that

faith which the apostles once delivered to the saints.

Verse 15. And he measured the city, twelve thousand furlongs-Not

in circumference, but on each of the four sides. Jerusalem was

thirtythree furlongs in circumference; Alexandria thirty in

length, ten in breadth. Nineveh is reported to have been four

hundred furlongs round; Babylon four hundred and eighty. But

what inconsiderable villages were all these compared to the new

Jerusalem! By this measure is understood the greatness of the

city, with the exact order and just proportion of every part

of it; to show, figuratively, that this city was prepared for

a great number of inhabitants, how small soever the number of

real Christians may sometimes appear to be; and that everything

relating to the happiness of that state was prepared with the

greatest order and exactness.

The city is twelve thousand furlongs high; the wall, an hundred

and forty-four reeds. This is exactly the same height, only

expressed in a different manner. The twelve thousand furlongs,

being spoken absolutely, without any explanation, are common,

human furlongs: the hundred forty-four reeds are not of common

human length, but of angelic, abundantly larger than human. It

is said, the measure of a man that is, of an angel because St.

John saw the measuring angel in an human shape. The reed

therefore was as great as was the stature of that human form

in which the angel appeared. In treating of all these things a

deep reverence is necessary; and so is a measure of spiritual

wisdom; that we may neither understand them too literally and

grossly, nor go too far from the natural force of the words.

The gold, the pearls, the precious stones, the walls,

foundations, gates, are undoubtedly figurative expressions;

seeing the city itself is in glory, and the inhabitants of it

have spiritual bodies: yet these spiritual bodies are also real

bodies, and the city is an abode distinct from its inhabitants,

and proportioned to them who take up a finite and a determinate

space. The measures, therefore, above mentioned are real and

determinate.

Verse 18. And the building of the wall was jasper-That is, the

wall was built of jasper. And the city-The houses, was of pure

gold.

Verse 19. And the foundations were adorned with precious stones

-That is, beautifully made of them. The precious stones on the

high priest's breastplate of judgment were a proper emblem to

express the happiness of God's church in his presence with them,

and in the blessing of his protection. The like ornaments on the

foundations of the walls of this city may express the perfect

glory and happiness of all the inhabitants of it from the most

glorious presence and protection of God. Each precious stone was

not the ornament of the foundation, but the foundation itself.

The colours of these are remarkably mixed. A jasper is of the

colour of white marble, with a light shade of green and of red;

a sapphire is of a sky-blue, speckled with gold; a chalcedony,

or carbuncle, of the colour of red-hot iron; an emerald, of a

grass green.

Verse 20. A sardonyx is red streaked with white; a sardius, of

a deep red; a chrysolite, of a deep yellow; a beryl, sea-green;

a topaz, pale yellow; a chrysoprase is greenish and transparent,

with gold specks; a jacinth, of a red purple; an amethyst,

violet purple.

Verse 22. The Lord God and the Lamb are the temple of it-He fills

the new heaven and the new earth. He surrounds the city and

sanctifies it, and all that are therein. He is "all in all."

Verse 23. The glory of God-Infinitely brighter than the shining

of the sun.

Verse 24. And the nations-The whole verse is taken from

# Isaiah 60:3.

Shall walk by the light thereof-Which throws itself outward from

the city far and near. And the kings of the earth-Those of them

who have a part there. Bring their glory into it-Not their old

glory, which is now abolished; but such as becomes the new earth,

and receives an immense addition by their entrance into the city.

Verse 26. And they shall bring the glory of the nations into

it-It seems, a select part of each nation; that is, all which

can contribute to make this city honourable and glorious shall

be found in it; as if all that was rich and precious throughout

the world was brought into one city.

Verse 27. Common-That is. unholy. But those who are written in

the Lamb's book of life-True, holy, persevering believers. This

blessedness is enjoyed by those only; and, as such, they are

registered among them who are to inherit eternal life.

Verse 1. And he showed me a river of the water of life-The ever

fresh and fruitful effluence of the Holy Ghost.

See # Ezek 47:1-12; where also the trees are mentioned which

"bear fruit every month," that is, perpetually. Proceeding out

of the throne of God, and of the Lamb-"All that the Father hath,"

saith the Son of God, "is mine;" even the throne of his glory.

Verse 2. In the midst of the street-Here is the paradise of God,

mentioned, # Rev 2:7.

Is the tree of life-Not one tree only, but many. Every month

-That is, in inexpressible abundance. The variety, likewise,

as well as the abundance of the fruits of the Spirit, may be

intimated thereby. And the leaves are for the healing of the

nations-For the continuing their health, not the restoring it;

for no sickness is there.

Verse 3. And there shall be no more curse-But pure life and

blessing; every effect of the displeasure of God for sin being

now totally removed. But the throne of God and the Lamb shall

be in it-That is, the glorious presence and reign of God. And

his servants-The highest honour in the universe. Shalt worship

him-The noblest employment.

Verse 4. And shall see his face-Which was not granted to Moses.

They shall have the nearest access to, and thence the highest

resemblance of, him. This is the highest expression in the

language of scripture to denote the most perfect happiness of

the heavenly state, # 1John 3:2.

And his name shall be on their foreheads-Each of them shall be

openly acknowledged as God's own property, and his glorious

nature most visibly shine forth in them. And they shall reign

-But who are the subjects of these kings? The other inhabitants

of the new earth. For there must needs be an everlasting

difference between those who when on earth excelled in virtue,

and those comparatively slothful and unprofitable servants, who

were just saved as by fire. The kingdom of God is taken by

force; but the prize is worth all the labour. Whatever of high,

lovely, or excellent is in all the monarchies of the earth is

all together not a grain of dust, compared to the glory of the

children of God. God "is not ashamed to be called their God,

for whom he hath prepared this city." But who shall come up

into his holy place? "They who keep his commandments," verse 14.

# Rev 22:14

Verse 5. And they shall reign for ever and ever-What

encouragement is this to the patience and faithfulness of

the saints, that, whatever their sufferings are, they will

work out for them "an eternal weight of glory!" Thus ends

the doctrine of this Revelation, in the everlasting happiness

of all the faithful. The mysterious ways of Providence are

cleared up, and all things issue in an eternal Sabbath, an

everlasting state of perfect peace and happiness, reserved

for all who endure to the end.

Verse 6. And he said to me-Here begins the conclusion of the

book, exactly agreeing with the introduction, (particularly

verses 6, 7, 10, # Rev 22:6,7,10 with chap. i. 1, 3,)

# Rev 1:1,3 and giving light to the whole book, as this book

does to the whole scripture. These sayings are faithful and

true-All the things which you have heard and seen shall be

faithfully accomplished in their order, and are infallibly true.

The Lord, the God of the holy prophets-Who inspired and

authorised them of old. Hath now sent me his angel, to show

his servants-By thee. The things which must be done shortly

-Which will begin to be performed immediately.

Verse 7. Behold, I come quickly-Saith our Lord himself, to

accomplish these things. Happy is he that keepeth-Without

adding or diminishing, verses 18, 19, # Rev 22:18,19

the words of this book.

Verse 8. I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel-The

very same words which occur, # Rev 19:10. The reproof of the

angel, likewise, See thou do it not, for I am thy fellowservant,

is expressed in the very same terms as before. May it not be the

very same incident which is here related again? Is not this far

more probable, than that the apostle would commit a fault again,

of which he had been so solemnly warned before?

Verse 9. See thou do it not-The expression in the original is

short and elliptical, as is usual in showing vehement aversion.

Verse 10. And he saith to me-After a little pause. Seal not

the sayings of this book-Conceal them not, like the things that

are sealed up. The time is nigh-Wherein they shall begin to

take place.

Verse 11. He that is unrighteous-As if he had said, The final

judgment is at hand; after which the condition of all mankind

will admit of no change for ever. Unrighteous-Unjustified.

Filthy-Unsanctified, unholy.

Verse 12. I-Jesus Christ. Come quickly-To judge the world.

And my reward is with me-The rewards which I assign both to

the righteous and the wicked are given at my coming. To give

to every man according as his work-His whole inward and outward

behaviour shall be.

Verse 13. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the

last-Who exist from everlasting to everlasting. How clear,

incontestable a proof, does our Lord here give of his divine

glory!

Verse 14. Happy are they that do his commandments-His, who

saith, I come-He speaks of himself. That they may have right

-Through his gracious covenant. To the tree of life-To all the

blessings signified by it. When Adam broke his commandment, he

was driven from the tree of life. They who keep his commandments"

shall eat thereof.

Verse 15. Without are dogs-The sentence in the original is

abrupt, as expressing abhorrence. The gates are ever open;

but not for dogs; fierce and rapacious men.

Verse 16. I Jesus have sent my angel to testify these things

-Primarily. To you-The seven angels of the churches; then to

those churches-and afterwards to all other churches in succeeding

ages. I-as God. Am the root-And source of David's family and

kingdom; as man, an descended from his loins. "I am the star

out of Jacob," # Num 24:17;

like the bright morning star, who put an end to the night

of ignorance, sin, and sorrow, and usher in an eternal day of

light, purity, and joy.

Verse 17. The Spirit and the bride-The Spirit of adoption in the

bride, in the heart of every true believer. Say-With earnest

desire and expectation. Come-And accomplish all the words of

this prophecy. And let him that thirsteth, come-Here they also

who are farther off are invited. And whosoever will, let him

take the water of life-He may partake of my spiritual and

unspeakable blessings, as freely as he makes use of the most

common refreshments; as freely as he drinks of the running stream.

Verses 18, 19. I testify to every one, &c.-From the fulness

of his heart, the apostle utters this testimony, this weighty

admonition, not only to the churches of Asia, but to all who

should ever hear this book. He that adds, all the plagues shall

be added to him; he that takes from it, all the blessings shall

be taken from him; and, doubtless, this guilt is incurred by

all those who lay hinderances in the way of the faithful, which

prevent them from hearing their Lord's "I come," and answering,

"Come, Lord Jesus." This may likewise be considered as an awful

sanction, given to the whole New Testament; in like manner as

Moses guarded the law, # Deut 4:2, and Deut 12:32; and as God

himself did, # Mal 4:4, in closing the canon of the Old Testament.

Verses 19. See note on "Re 22:18"

Verse 20. He that testifieth these things-Even all that is

contained in this book. Saith-For the encouragement of the

church in all her afflictions. Yea-Answering the call of

the Spirit and the bride. I come quickly-To destroy all

her enemies, and establish her in a state of perfect and

everlasting happiness. The apostle expresses his earnest

desire and hope of this, by answering, Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

Verse 21. The grace-The free love. Of the Lord Jesus-And all

its fruits. Be with all-Who thus long for his appearing!

It may be proper to subjoin here a short view of the whole

contents of this book.

In the year of the world,

3940. Jesus Christ is born, three years before the common

computation.

In that which is vulgarly called, the thirtieth year of our Lord,

Jesus Christ dies; rises; ascends.

A.D. 96. The Revelation is given; the coming of our Lord is

declared to the seven churches in Asia, and their

angels, Rev i., ii., iii.

97, 98. The seven seals are opened, and under the fifth

the chronos is declared, C. iv.-vi.

Seven trumpets are given to the seven angels, C. vii. viii.

Century, 2d, 3d, 4th, 5th, the trumpet of the

1st, 2d, 3d, 4th angel, C. viii.

510-589 The first woe,

589-634 The interval after the first woe, } C. ix.

634-840 The second woe, /

800 The beginning of the non-chronos

many kings, } C. ix., x.

840-947 The interval after the second woe, /

847-1521 The twelve hundred and sixty days of the

woman, after she hath brought forth the

man child, C xii. 6

947-1836 The third woe, 12

1058-1836 The time, times, and half a time, and

within that period, the beast, his forty- }to C. xiii. 5

two months, his number 666, /

1209 War with the saints: the end of the chronos, 7

1614 An everlasting gospel promulged, C. xiv. 6

1810 The end of the forty-two months of the beast;

after which, and the pouring out of the

phials, he is not, and Babylon reigns queen, C. xv., xvi.

1832 The beast ascends from the bottomless pit, C. xvii., xviii.

1836 The end of the non-chronos, and of the many

kings; the fulfilling of the word, and of

the mystery of God; the repentance of the

survivors in the great city; the end of the

"little time," and of the three times and a

half; the destruction of the east; the

imprisonment of Satan, C. xix., xx.

Afterward The loosing of Satan for a small time;

the beginning of the thousand years' reign

of the saints; the end of the small time, C. xx.

The end of the world; all things new, C. xx., xxii.

The several ages, from the time of St. John's being in Patmos, down to

the present time, may, according to the chief incidents mentioned in

the Revelation, be distinguished thus:-

Age II. The destruction of the Jews by Adrian, C viii. 7

III. The inroads of the barbarous nations, 8

IV. The Arian bitterness, 10

V. The end of the western empire. 12

VI. The Jews tormented in Persia, C. ix. 1

VII. The Saracen cavalry. 13

VIII. Many kings, C. x. 11

IX. The ruler of the nations born, C. xii. 5

X. The third woe, 12

XI. The ascent of the beast out of the pen, C. xiii. 1

XII Power given to the beast, 5

XIII. War with the saints, 7

XIV. The middle of the third woe,

XV. The beast in the midst of his strength,

XVI. The Reformation; the woman better fed, 9

XVII. An everlasting gospel promulged, C. xiv. 6

XVIII. The worship of the beast and of his image, 9

O God, whatsoever stands or falls, stands or falls by thy judgment.

Defend thy own truth! Have mercy on me and my readers! To thee be

glory for ever!

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