D i V i S i 0 qJ_^ sLy . /O^l/ A-r Section M±D.f^ Up I V' SQpJ c 1S!^\>ikV^ ;^i^^W 7^ NOTES, EXPLANATORY AND PRACTICAI,, BOOK OF REYELATION BY ALBERT KAllNES. NEW YORK: HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS, NOS. 3'29 AND 331 PEARL STREET, FRANKLIN SQUARE 18 01. Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by ALBERa* J3ARNES, in the Clerk's Office of the District CoarL of the United States for ibs Eastern District of Pennsylvania. PEEFAGE. When I began the preparation of these 'Notes' on the New Testa ment, now more than twenty years ago, I did not design to extend the work beyond the Gospels, and contemplated only simple and brief explanations of that portion of the New Testament, for the use of Sun- day-school teachers and Bible classes. The work originated in the belief that Notes of that character were greatly needed, and that the older commentaries, having been written for a different purpose, and being, on account of their size and expense, beyond the reach of most teachers of Sunday-schools, did not meet the demand which had grown up from the establishment of such schools. These Notes, contrary to my original plan and expectation, have been extended to eleven volumes, and embrace the whole of the New Testament. Having, at the time when these Notes were commenced, as I have ever had since, the charge of a large congregation, I had no leisure that I could properly devote to these studies, except the early hours of the morning, and I adopted the resolution — a resolution which has since been invariably adhered to — to cease writing precisely at nine o'clock in the morning. The habit of writing in this manner, once formed, was easily continued, and having been thus continued, I find myself at the end of the New Testament. Perhaps this personal allusion would not be proper, except to show that I have not intended, in these literary labors, to infriu8;e on ibe proper duties of the pastoral office, or to take time for these pursuits on which there was a claim for other purposes. This allusion may perhaps also be of use to my younger brethren in the ministry, by showing them that much may be accomplished by the habit of early rising, and by a diligent use of the early morning hours. In my own case, these Notes on the New Testament, and also the Notes on the books of Isaiah, Job, and Daniel, extending in all to sixteen volumes, have all been written before nine o'clock in the morning, and kre the fruit of the habit of rising between four and five o'clock. I do (iii) IV PREFACE. not know that by this practice I have neglected any duty which I should otherwise have performed, and on the score of health, and, I may add, of profit in the contemplation of a portion of divine truth at the beginning of each day, the habit has been of inestimable advantage to me. It was not my original intention to prepare Notes on the book of Revelation, nor did I entertain the design of doing it until I came up to it in the regular course of my studies. Having written on all the other portions of the New Testament, there remained only this book to com- plete an entire commentary on this part of the Bible. That I have endeavored to explain the book at all is to be traced to the habit which [ had formed of spending the early hours of the day in the study of Tae Sacred Scriptures. That habit, continued, has carried me forward until I have reached the end of the New Testament. It may be of some use to those who peruse this volume, and it is proper in itself, that I should make a brief statement of the manner in which I have prepared these Notes, and of the method of interpretation on which I have proceeded ; — fur the result which has been reached has not been the effect of any preconceived theory '^r plan, and if in the result I coincide in any degree with the common method of interpreting the volume, the fact may be regarded as the testimony of another wit- ness— however unimportant the testimony may be in itself — to tho correctness of that method of interpretation. Up to the time of commencing the exposition of this book, I had tjo theory in my own mind as to its meaning. I may add, that I had a prevailing belief that it could not be explained, and that all attempts to explain it must be visionary and futile. "With the exception of the work of the Rev. George Croly,* which I read more than twenty years ago, and which I had never desired to read again, I had perused no com- mentary on this book until that of Professor Stuart was published, in 1845. In my regular reading of the Bible in the family and in private, I had perused the book often. I read it, as I suppose most others do, from a sense of duty, yet admiring the beauty of its imagery, the sub- limity of its descriptions, and its high poetic character ; and though to me wholly unintelligible in the main, finding so many striking detached passages that were intelligible and practical in their nature,. as to make * 'Tbe Apocalypse of St. John, or prophecy of the rise, progress, and fall of the iiiurch of Rome ; the inquisition ; the revolution in France ; a universal war, and the final triumph of Christianity ; being a new interpretation, by the Rev. Cleorgo Croly, A. M. U. R. S. L. PEEFAGE. V it on the whole attractive and profitable, but with no definitely-formed idea as to its meaning as a whole, and with a vague general feeling that all the interpretations which had been proposed were wild, fanciful, and visionary. In this state of things, the utmost that I contemplated when I began to write on it, was, to explain, as well as I could, the meaning of the language and the symbols, without attempting to apply the explanation to the events of past history, or to inquire what is to occur hereafter. I supposed that I might venture to do this without encountering tho danger of adding another vain attempt to explain a book so full of mys- teries, or of propounding a theory of interpretation to be set aside, per- haps, by the next person that should prepare a commentary on the book. Beginning with this aim, I found myself soon insensibly inquiring whether, in the events which succeeded the time when the book was written, there were not historical facts of which the emblems employed would be natural and proper symbols on the supposition that it was the divine intention in disclosing these visions to refer to them, and whether, therefore, there might not be a natural and proper application of the symbols to these events. In this way, I examined the language used in reference to the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth seals, with no anticipation or plan in examining one as to what would be disclosed under the next seal, and in this way also I examined ulti- mately the whole book: proceeding step by step in ascertaining the meaning of each word and symbol as it occurred, but with- no theo- retic anticipation as to what was to follow. To my own surprise, I found, chiefly in Gibbon's Decline and Fall of the Eoman Empire, a series of events recorded such as seemed to me to correspond to a great extent with the series of symbols found in the Apocalypse. The sym- bols were such as it might be supposed loould he iised, on the supposition that they were intended to refer to these events, and the language of Mr. Gibbon was often such as he would have used, on the supposition that he had designed to prepare a commentary on the symbols employed by John. It was such, in fact, that, if it had been found in a Chris- tian writer, professedly writing a commentary on the book of Reve~ lation, it would have been regarded by infidels as a designed attempt to force history to utter a language that should conform to a pre- determined theory in expounding a book full of symbols. So remarka- ble have these coincidences appeared to me in the course of this expo- sition, that it has almost seemed as if he had designed to write a com mentary on somo portion of this book, and t have found it difficult to VI PREFACE. doubt that that distinguished historian was raised up by an overruling Providence to make a record of those events which would ever after- wards be regarded as an impartial and unprejudiced statement of the evidences of the fulfilment of prophecy. The Historian of the ' Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire' had no belief in the divine origin of Christianity, but he brought to the performance of his work learning and talent such as few Christian scholars have possessed. He is always patient in his investigations ; learned and scholarlike in his references ; comprehensive in his groupings, and sufficiently minute in his details ; unbiassed in his statements of facts, and usually cool and candid in his estimates of the causes of the events which he records ; and, excepting his philosophical speculations, and his sneers at every thing, he has probably written the most candid and impartial history of the times iiiat succeeded the introduction of Christianity, that the world possesses, and even after all that has been written since his time, his work con- tains the best ecclesiastical history that is to be found. Whatever use of it can be made in explaining and confirming the prophecies, will be regarded by the world as impartial and fair ; for it was a result which he least of all contemplated, that he would ever be regarded as an ex- pounder of the prophecies in the Bible, oj be referred to as vindicating their truth. It was in this manner that these Notes on the book of Revelatior assumed the form in which they are now given to the world ; and it surprises me, and, under this view of the matter, may occasion some surprise to my readers, to find how nearly the views coincide with those taken by the great body of Protestant interpreters. And perhaps this fact may be regarded as furnishing some evidence that, after all the obscurity attending it, there is a natural and obvious interpretation of which the book is susceptible. Whatever may be the value or the cor- rectness of the views expressed in this volume, the work is the result of no previously-formed theory. That it will be satisfactory to all, I have no reason to expect ; that it may be useful to some, I would hope ; that it may be regarded by many as only adding another vain and futile cfibrt to explain a book which defies aU attempts to elucidate its meaning, I have too much reason, judging from the labors of those who have gone before me, to fear. But, as it is, I commit it to the judgment of a candid Christian public, and to the blessing of Him who alone can make any attempt to explain his word a means of diffusing the know- ledge of truth. I cannot conceal the fact that I dismiss it, and send it forth to the PBBFACE. Vll worlcl, as the last volume on the New Testament, with deep emotion. After more than twenty years of study on the New Testament, I am reminded that I am no longer a young man ; and that, as I close this work, so all my work on earth must at no distant period be ended. I am sensible that he incurs no slight responsibility who publishes a commentary on the Bible ; and I especially feel this now in view of the fact — so unexpected to me when I began these labors — that I have been permitted in our own country to send forth more than two hun- dred and fifty thousand volumes of commentary on the New Testa- ment, and that probably a greater number has been published abroad. That there are many imperfections in these Notes, no one can feel more sensibly than I do ; but the views which I have expressed are those which seem to me to be in accordance with the Bible, and I send the last volume forth with the deep conviction that these volumes contain the truth as God has revealed it, and as he will bless it to the extension of his church in the world. I have no apprehension that the senti- ments which I have expressed will corrupt the morals, or destroy the peace, or ruin the souls of those who may read these volumes ; and I trust that they may do something to diffuse abroad a correct knowledge of that blessed gospel on which the interests of the church, the welfare of our country, and the happiness of the world, depend. In language which I substantially used in publishing the revised edition of the volumes on the Gospels, (Preface to the Seventeenth Edition, 1840,) I can now say, * I cannot be insensible to the fact that, in the form in which these volumes now go forth to the public, I may continue, though dead, to speak to the living ; and that the work may be exerting an influence on immortal minds when I am in the eternal world. I need not say that, while I am sensitive to this consideration, I earnestly desire it. There are no sentiments in these volumes which I wish to alter; none that I do not believe to be truths that will abide the investigations of the great day; none of which I am ashamed. That I may be in error, I know; that a better work than this might be prepared by a more gifted mind, and a purer heart, I know. But the truths here set forth are, I am persuaded, those which are destined to abide, and to be the means of saving millions of souls, and ultimately of converting this whole world to God. That these volumes may have a part in this great work is my earnest prayer; and with many thanks to the public for their favors, and to God, the great source of all blessing, I send them forth, committing them to His care, and leaving them to live or die, to be remembered or forgotten, to be used by the present generation and the VIU PREFACE. next, or to be superseded by other works, as shall be in accordance with his will, and as he shall see to be for his glory/ AL3BERT BAENES. "Washington Square, Philadelphia, March 26, 1851. The works "which I have had most constantly before me, and from which I have derived most aid in the preparation of these Notes, are the following. They are enimierated here, as some of them are fre- quently quoted, to save the necessity of a frequent reference to the Editions in the Notes. A Commentary on the Apocalypse, by Moses Stuart, Professor of Sacred Literature in the Theological Seminary at Andover, Mass. An- dover, 1845. Horse Apocalypticas ; or, a Commentary on the Apocalypse, Critical and Historical. By the Rev. E. B. Elliott, A. M. Late Vicar of Tux- ford, and Fellow of Trinity College. Third Edition. London, 1847. The works of Nathaniel Lardner, D. D. In ten volumes. London, 1829. The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire. By Ed- ward Gibbon, Esq. Fifth American, from the last London edition. Complete in four volumes. New York, J. and J. Harper, 1829. History of Europe. By Archibald Alison, F. R. S. E. New York, Harper & Brothers, 1843. An Exposition of the Apocalypse. By David N. Lord. Harper & Brothers, 1847. Hyponoia; or, Thoughts on a Spiritual understanding of the Apoca- lypse, a Book of Revelation. New York, Leavitt, Trow & Co., 1844. The Family Expositor. By Philip Doddridge, D. D. London, 1831. Afaxptotr-' Apocalypsios Joannis Apostoli, etc. Auctore Campegio Vitringa, Theol. et Hist. Professore. Amsterdam, 1G29. Kurtzgefasstes exegetisches Handbuch zum Neuen Testament. Von Dr. W. il. L. De Wette. Leipzig, 1847, Rosenmiiller Scholia in Novum Testamentum. Dissertations on the Opening of the Sealed Book. Montreal, 1848. Two New Arguments in vindication of the Genuineness and Authen- ticity of the Revelation of St. John. By John Collyer, Knight. Lon- don, 1842. f»REFACE. ix llie Seventh Vial, being an Exposition of the Apocalypse, and in particular of the pouring out of the Seventh Vial, with special reference to the present Revolution in Europe. London, 1848. Die Offonbarung des Heiligen Joannes. Von G. W. Hengstenberg. Berlin, 1850. The Works of the Rev. Andrew Fuller. New Haven, 1825. Novum Testamentum. Editio Koppiana, 1821. Dissertation on the Prophecies. By Thomas Newton, D. D. London, 1832. The Apocalypse of St. John. By the Rev. George Croly, A. M. Philadelphia, 1827. The Signs of the Times, as denoted by the fulfilment of Historical Predictions, from the Babylonian Captivity to the present time. By Alexander Keith, D. D. Eighth edition. Edinburgh, 1847. Christ's Second Coming : will it be pre-millennial? By the Rev. David Brown, A. M., St. James* Free church, Glascow. New York, 1851. Apocalyptical Key. An extraordinary discourse on the Rise and Fall of the Papacy. By Robert Fleming, V. D. M. New York, American Protestant Society. A Treatise on the Millennium. By George Bush, A. M. New York, 1832. A Key to the Book of Revelation. By James McDonald, Minister of the Presbyterian Church, Jamaica, L. I. Second Edition. New London, 1848. Das alte und neue Morgenland. RosenmuUer. Leipzig, 1820. The Season and Time; or, an exposition of the Prophecies whicw relate to the two periods subsequent to the 1200 years now recentlj expired, being the time of the Seventh Trumpet, &c. By W. Ettrick. A. M. London, 1816. Einleitung in das Neue Testament, von Johann Gottfried Eichhorn Leipzig, 1811. For a very full view of the History of the interpretation of the Apo- calypse, and of the works that have been written on it, the reader ia referred to Elliott's Horae Apocalypticae, vol. iv., pp. 307-487, a?i(> prof. Stuart, vol. i., pp. 450-475. INTKODUCTION. § 1. The Writer of the Booh of Revelation. Much has been written on the question who was the author of this book. To enter into an extended investigation of this, would greatly exceed the limits which I have, and would not comport with my design in these Notes. For a full exami- nation of the question, I must refer to others, and would mention particularly. Prof. Stuart, Com. i. 283-427; Lardner, Works, vi. 318-327,- Hug. Intro, to the Kew Testament, pp. 650-673, Andover, 1836 ; Michaelis' Introduction to the New Testament, iv. 457-544; and the article Revelation, in Kitto's Cyclopedia of Bibli- cal Literature. I propose to exhibit, briefly, the evidence that the apostle John was the author, according to- the opinion which has been commonly entertained in the church ; — the proof of which seems to me to be satisfactory. This may be considered under these divisions : — the direct historical evidence ; and the insuflB- ciency of the reason for doubting it. I. The direct historical evidence. The sum of aU that is to be said on this point is, that to the latter half of the third century, it was not doubted that the apostle John was the author. Why it was ever afterwards doubted, and what is the force and value of the doubt, will be considered in another part of this Introduction. There may be some convenience in dividing the early historical testimony into three periods of half a century each, extending from the death of John, about A. D. 98, to the middle of the third century. (a) From the death of John, about A. D. 98 to A. D. 150. This period em- braces the last of those men who conversed, or who might have conversed with tho apostles; that is, who were, for a part of their lives, the contemporaries of John. The testimony of the writers who lived then would, of course, be very important. Those embraced in this period are Hermas, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Papias. The evidence of this period is not indeed very direct, but it is such as it would be on the supposition that John was the author, and there is nothing contradictory to that supposition. Mermas, about A. D. 100. In the "Shepherd," or "Pastor" ascribed to Una writer, there are several allusions which are supposed to refer to this book, and which resemble it so much as to make it probable that the author was acquainted with it. Dr. Lardner thus expresses the result of his examination of this point: "It ia prohaUe that Hermaa had read the book of Revelation, and imitated It. XU INTRODUCTION. He has many things resembling it." Vol. ii., p. 69-72. There is no direct testi- mony, however, in this writer that is of importance. Ignatius. He was bishop of Antioch, and flourished A. D. 70-107'. In the latter year he suffered martyrdom, in the time of Trajan. Little, however, can be derived from him in regard to the Apocalypse. He was a contemporary of John, and it is not a little remarkable that he has not more directly alluded to him. In the course of a forced and hurried journey to Rome, the scene of his martyrdom, he wrote several epistles to the Ephesians, Magnesians, Trallians, Romans, Philadelphians, Smyrneans, and to Polycarp. There has been much controversy respecting the authenticity of these epistles, and it is generally admitted that those which we now possess have been greatly corrupted. There is no direct mention of the Apocalypse in these epistles, and Michaelis makes this one of the strong grounds of his disbelief of its genuineness. His argument is, that the silence of Ignatius shows, either that he did not know of the existence of this book, or did not recognise it as a part of the Sacred Scriptures. Little, however, can be ever inferred from the mere silence of an author, for there may have been many reasons why, though the book may have been in existence, and recognised as the writing of John, Ignatius did not refer to it. The whole matter of the residence of John at Ephesus, of his banishment to Patmos, and of his death, is unnoticed by him. There are, however, two or three allusions in the epistles of Ignatius which have been supposed to refer to the Apocalypse, or to prove that he was familiar with that work — though it must be admitted that the language is so general, that it furnishes no certain proof that he designed to quote it. They are these, Epis. to the Romans: — "In the patience of Jesus Christ," comp. Rev. i. 9j and Epis. to the Ephesians: — "Stones of the temple of the Father prepared for the building of God," comp. Rev. xxi. 2-19. To these Mr. John Collyer Knight, of the British Museum, in a recent publication (Tavo new Arguments in vindication of the genuiness ard authenticity of the Revelation of St. John, London, 1842), has added a third: Epis. to the Philadelphians: — "If they do not speak concerning Jesus Christ, they are but sepulchral pillars, and upon them are written only the names of men." Comp. Rev. iii. 12, " Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God." It must be admitted, however, that this coincidence of language does not furnish any certain proof that Ignatius had seen the Apocalypse, though this is such language as he might have used if he had seen it. There was no known necessity, however, for his referring to this book if he was acquainted with it, and nothing can be inferred from his silence. Polycarp. He was bishop of Smyrna, and suffered martyrdom, though at what time is not certain. The Chronicou Paschale names A. D. 163; Eusebius, 167; Usher, 169; and Pearson, 148. Ho died at the age of eighty-six, and conse quently was cotemporary with John, who died about A. D. 98. There is but one relic of his writings extant — his epistle to the Philippians. There is in Eusebius (iv. 15), an epistle from the church in Smyrna to the churches in Pontus, giving an account of the martyrdom of Polycarp. It is admitted that in neither of these is there any express mention, or any certain aHusion to the book of Revelation INTRODUCTION. X311 But from this circumstance, notning can be inferred respecting tlie Apocalypse, either for or against it, since there may have been no occasion for Polycarp or his friends, in the writings now extant, to speak of this book ; and from their silence nothing more should be inferred against this book than against the ei»istla of Paul, or the gospel by John. There is, however, what may, without impro- priety; be regarded as an important testimony of Polycarp in regard to this book. Polycarp was, as there is every reason to suppose, the personal friend of John, and Irenaeus was the personal friend of Polycarp. Lardner, ii. 94-96. Now Irenoeus, as we shall see, on all occasions, and in the most positive manner, gives his clear testimony that .the Apocalypse was written by the apostle John. It is impossible to suppose that he would do this if Polycarp had not believed it to be true, and certainly he would not have been likely to hold this opinion, if one who was his own friend, and the friend of John, had doubted or denied it. This is not indeed absolute proof, but it furnishes strong presumptive evidence in favor of the opinion that the book of Revelation was written by the apostle John. The whole history of Polycarp, and his testimony to the books of the New Testament, may be seen in Lardner, ii. 94-114. Papias. Papias was bishop of Hierapolis, near Colosse, and flourished, accord- ing to Cave, about A. D. 110; according to others, about the year 115, or 116. How long he lived is uncertain. Irenaeus asserts that he was the intimate friend ■ — iraipos — of Polycarp, and- this is also admitted by Eusebius. Eccl. Hist. iii. 39. He was the contemporary of John, and was probably acquainted with him. Euse- bius expressly says that he was "a hearer of John." Lardner, ii. 117. Of his writings there remain only a few fragments preserved by Eusebius, by Jerome, and in the Commentary of Andrew, bishop of Cesarea, in Cappadocia. He was a warm defender of the Millennarian doctrines. In his writings preserved to us (see Lardner, ii. 120-125), there is no express mention of the Apocalypse, or direct reference to it; but the commentator Andrew of Cesarea reckons him among the explicit witnesses in its favor. In the Preface to his commentary on the Apocalypse, Andrew says, "In regard now to the inspiration of the book, wo think it superfluous to extend our discourse, inasmuch as the blessed Gregory, and Cyril, and moreover the ancient [writers] Papias, Irenceus, Ilethodius, and Hip2iolytu8 bear testimony to its credibility." See the passage in Hug. Intro, p. 652 ; and Prof. Stuart, i. 305. And in nearly the same words does Arethas, the successor of Andrew, bear the like testimony. The evidence, therefore, in this ease in the same as in the case of Polycarp, and it cannot be supposed that Papias would have been thus referred to, unless it was uniformly understood that h© regarded the book as the production of the apostle John. These are all the testimonies that properly belong to the first half century after the death of John, and though not absolutely positive and conclusive in them- selves, yet the following points may be regarded as established : — (a) The book was known ; (h) so far as the testimony goes, it is in favor of its having been composed by John; (c) the fact that he was the author is not called in questioc or doubted ; {d) it was generally ascribed to him ; (e) it was probably the foun- dation of the Millennarian views entertained, by Papias: — that is, it is more 2 XIV INTEODUCTION. easy to account for his holding these views, by supposing that the book waa known, and that he founded them on this book, than in any other way. See Prof. Stuart, i. 304. (6) The second half century after the death of John, from A. D. 150 to A. D. 200. This will include the names of Justin Martyr, the Narrator of the Martyrs of Lyons, Irenaeus, Melito, Theophilus, Apollonius, Clement of Alexandria, and Tertullian. Justin Martyr. He was a Christian philosopher, bom at Flavia Neapolis, anciently called Sichem, a city of Samaria, it is supposed about A. D. 103 ; waa converted to Christianity about A. D. 133, and suffered martyrdom about A. D. 165. Lardner, ii. 125-140. He was partly cotemporary with Polycarp and Papias. He travelled in Egypt, Italy, and Asia Minor, and resided sometime at Ephesus. He was endowed with a bold and enquiring mind, and was a man eminent for integrity and virtue. Tatian calls him an " admirable man." Me- thodius says, that he was a man " not far removed from the apostles in time or in virtue." Photius says, that he was " well acquainted with the Christian philoso- phy, and especially with the Heathen; rich in the knowledge of history, and all other parts of learning. Lardner. He was, therefore, well qualified to ascer- tain the truth about the origin of the book of Revelation, and his testimony must bo of great value. He was an advocate of the doctrine of Chiliaam — or, the doctrine that Christ would reign a thousand years on the earth, and in defence of this he uses the following language : — " And a man from among us, by name John, one of the apostles of Christ, in a Revelation made to him — iv ' ATtoKaXixpti yevoiiivT} avri^ — has prophesied that the believers in one Christ shall live a thou- sand years in Jerusalem; and after that shall be the general, and in a word, the eternal resurrection and judgment of all men together." There can be no doubt whatever that there is an allusion here to the Book of Revelation — for the very name Revelation — AiroKaXirpis — is used; that Justin believed that it was written by the apostle John ; and that there is express reference to what is now chapter XX. of that book. The book was, therefore, in existence in the time cf Justin— that is, in about fifty years after the death of John ; was believed to be the work of the apostle John ; was quoted as such, and by one who had lived in the very region where John lived, and by a man whose character is unimpeached, and who, in a point like this, could not have been mistaken. The testimony of Justin Martyr, therefore, is very important. It is positive ; it is given where there was every opportunity for knowing the truth, and where there was no motive for a false testimony ; and it is the testimony of one whose character for truthfulness is unimpeached. The Narrative of the Martyrs of Vienne and Lyons. Lardner, ii. 160-165. In the reign of Marcus Antoninus, Christians su2"ered much from persecution. This persecution was particularly violent at Lyons, and the country round about. The churches of Lyons and Vienne sent an account of their sufi'erihgs, in an epistle, to the churches of Asia and Phrygia. This, according to Lardner, was about A. D. 177. The epistle has been preserved by Eusebius. In this epistle, among other undoubted allusions to the New Testament, the following occurs. INTRODUCTION. XV Speaking of Vettius Epigathus, they say — " For he was indeed a genuine disciple of Christ, following the Lamb whithersoever he goes." Comp. Rev. xiv. 2: "These are they ^ivhich follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth." There can he no douht that this passage in Revelation was referred to; and it proves that the hook was then known, and that the writers were accustomed to regard it as on a level with the other sacred writings. IreTKBUs. The testimony of this father has already heen referred to whe speaking of Polycarp. He was bishop of Lyons, in Gaul. His country is no cwftainly known, hut Lardner supposes that he was a Greek, and, from his early acquaintance with Polycarp, that he was from Asia. When a youth he was a hearer of Polycarp, and also a disciple of Papias. He was born about the begin- ning of the second century, and it is commonly supposed that he suffered martyr- dom m extreme old age. He became bishop of Lyons after he was seventy years of age, and wrote his principal work. Contra Hcereses, after this. His testimony is particularly valuable, as he was in early life acquainted with Polycarp, who was a contemporary and friend of the apostle John. Lardner, ii. 165-192. Of his reference to the book of Revelation, Lardner says : " The Apocalypse, or Revela- tion, is orten quoted by him as the Revelation of John, the disciple of the Lord." In one place he says: "It was seen no long time ago, but almost in our age, at the end of tne reign of Domitian." And again, he spoke of the exact and ancient copies of the book, as if it waS important to ascertain the true reading, and as if It were then possible to do this. Thus Eusebius (Lardner, ii. 167) says of him: ** In his fifth book he thus discourses of the Revelation of John, and the compu- tation of the name of Antichrist; 'These things being thus, and this number being in all the exact and ancient copies, and they who saw John attesting to the same things, and reason teaching us that the number of the name of the beast, accord- ing to the acceptation of the Greeks, is expressed by the letters contained in it.'" Here is an undoubted reference to Rev. xiii. 18. This evidence is clear and posi- tive. Its value consists in these things: (a) That he was familiar with one who was a friend of John; (6) that he must have known his views on the subject; (c) that he must have been intimately acquainted with the common opinion on the subject of the authorship of the book; (d) that a spurious work could not have been palmed upon the world as the production of John; (e) that he bears unequi- vocal testimony to the fact that it was written by John; (/) and that he speaks of the " most exact" copies being then in existence, and testified to by those who had seen John himself. Melito. Lardner, ii. 157-160. He was bishop of Sardis, one of the churches tD which the book of Revelation was directed. He is supposed to have flourished about A. D. 170. He was a man greatly distinguished for learning and piety, and Jerome says that Christians were accustomed to name him a prophet. He was, moreover, remarkably inquisitive respecting the sacred books, and, at the reques of Onesimus, he made extracts from the Scriptures respecting the Messianic pro phecies, and also a complete list of the books of the Old Testament, which is stil extant in Eusebius. Hist. Ecc. iv. 26. He wrote a Treatise, or Commentary on the Book of Revelation. Dr. Lardner says of this, "what it contained we axe not XVI INTRODUCTION. informed. I will say it was a commentary on that book. It is p.ain lie ascribed that book to John, and very likely to John the Apostle. I think it very probable he esteemed it a book of canonical authority." Hug says (p. 653), "Melito him- self calls it the Apocalypse of John." Even Michaelis (Intro, to the New Testa- ment, iv. 466), reckons Melito among the witnesses in favor of the book. The value of this testimony is this : (a) Melito was bishop of one of the churches to which the Apocalypse was directed ; (5) he lived near the time of John ; (c) he was a diligent student on this very subject; {d) he had every opportunity of ascer- taining the truth on the subject; (e) he regarded it as the work of the apostle John; (/) and he wrote a Treatise, or commentary on it as an inspired book. It is not easy to conceive of stronger testimony in favor of the book. TheopJiilus. Lardner, ii. 203-215. He was bishop of Antioch, and flourished about A. D. 169-180. He wrote a work against the "heresy" of Hermogenes;. referred to by Eusebius. Ecc. Hist. iv. 24. In that work he expressly speaks of the Apocalypse as the production of John, and Lardner says of his testimony, "That the book of Revelation was owned by him is undoubted from Eusebius. Eusebius has assured us that Theophilus, in his book against Hermogcnes, brought testimonies from the Apocalypse of John." pp. 214, 215. The value of this testi- mony is, that Theophilus doubtless expressed the current opinion of his time, and that he had ample opportunity for ascertaining the truth. There is also a pas- sage in the writings of Theophilus which seems to be a direct allusion to the Book of Revelation: "This Eve, because she was deceived by the Serpent — the evil demon, who is also called Satan, who thus spoke to her by the Serpent — does not cease to accuse ; this demon is also called the dragon." Comp. Rev. xii. 9. Apollonius. Lardner, ii. 391-393. He flourished about A. D. 192. Eusebius Bays of him, " He makes use of testimonies out of the Revelation of John." The value of this testimony is, (a) that he quotes the book as of authority; and (b) that he ascribes it to John, evidently meaning the Apostle John. Clement of Alexandria. Lardner, ii. 222-259. Ho flourished about A. D. 192-220. Many of his writings are extant. Lardner (p. 245) says of him, "The book of Revelation is several times quoted by him, and once in this manner.' *Such an one, though here on earth he be not honored with the first seat, shall sit upon the four and twenty thrones judging the people, as John says in the Re- velation.' " Comp. Rev. iv. 4, xi. 16. Lardner adds, "And that he supposed this writer to be John the Apostle, appears from another place, where he refers to Rev. xxi. 21, as the words of the apostle." Prof. Stuart says (i. 317), "There is no good ground for doubt, from any thing which is found in the work, that he received and admitted the Apocalypse as a work of John the Apostle." The known character of Clement makes this testimony of great value. Terttdlian. Ho was the contemporary of Clement, and was the most ancient, and one of the most learned of the Latin fathers. Lardner, ii. 207-306. He was born at Carthage, about the middle of the second century, and died about A. D. 220. Ho was bred up in the study of the Greek and Latin languages, of philoso- phy and the Roman law, and possessed extensive information. "His testimony to the Apocalypse is most full and ample. He quotes, or refers to it in more than INTRODUCTION. XVU gerenty passages in his ■writings, appealing to it expressly as the work of th6 apostle John," Elliott, i. 27. " The declarations of Tertullian are so frequent and plain, that no doubt can possibly remain as to his belief." Prof, Stuart, i. 318. " The Revelation of John is often quoted. I put together two or three passages, which show his full persuasion that it was written by the apostle and evangelist of tha4; name." Lardner, ii. 295. One of the passages referred to by Lardner is the following: " The apostle John, in the Apocalypse, describes a sharp two-edged sword coming out of the mouth of God." Another is, "Though Marcion rejects his Revelation, the succession of bishops traced to the original, will assure ua that John is the author." There can be no doubt, therefore, that Tertullian regarded the apostle John as the author of the book of Revelation; and his con- fident assertion may be considered an expressive of the prevailing opinion of his time. Thus far, to the end of the second century, the testimony of the fathers of the church, as far as we now have it, was uniform and unbroken; and so far as historical testimony is concerned, this should be permitted to decide the question. Marcion, indeed, who lived in the time of Polycarp, and whom Polycarp called ''the first-born of Satan" (Lardner, ii. 95), rejected the book of Revelation (see the declaration of Tertullian in Lardner, ii. 275), but it is also to bo remembered that he rejected the whole of the Old Testament, the account of the genealogy and baptism of the Saviour, the Acts of the Apostles, the epistles to Timothy, Titus, the Hebrews, and the Catholic epistles. Lardner, vi. 142-151, 347-350; viii. 4S9-513. Besides the opinion of Marcion, the testimony was uniform, with the exception of the heretical sect of the Alogi, if there was any such sect, which is generally supposed to have arisen in the latter half of this century, who derived their name from their antipathy to the name of Logos, and who on this account denied both the gospel of John and the book of Revelation. See Lardner, iv. 190, 191 ; viii. 627, 628. Lardner, however, maintains that there never was any Buch a sect. viii. 628. (c) The third half century after the death of John, A. D. 200-250. Among the names embraced in this period are those of Hippolytus, who flourished about A. D. 220; Nepos, an Egpptian bishop; the well-known Origen, the most acute critic of all the early fathers, and who devoted his life to the study of the Scrip- tures ; Cyprian, bishop of Carthage, who flourished about A. D. 246 ; and Metho- dius, bishop of Olympia in Lycia. All these, without exception, have left a clear and decided expression of their belief that the apostle John was the author of the Apocalypse. See that testimony at length in Prof. Stuart, i. 321-326. It is unnecessary to pursue the historical evidence further. If the testimony in favor of the work is unbroken and clear for an hundred and fifty years, the testimony of those who lived subsequent to that period would add little to its strength. To the names already mentioned, however, there might be added those of Epiphanius, Basil, Cyril of Alexancb-ia, Ephrem the Syrian, Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, Hilary of Poictiers, Gregory Nazianzen, Chrysostom, and many others. Such is the external positive testimony in favor of the opinion that the book of Rovelation was written by the apostlo John, XVUl INTEODUCTION. To this might be added certain internal marks, or certain fao>s in the Ufa of John which accord with this supposition, and seem to confirm it. They are such that if they did 7iot exist there might be some room for plausible doubt, though it must be admitted that, in themselves, they do not amount to positive proof of any considerable strength that he was the author. There is not room to dwell upon them, and they can only be briefly referred to. They are such as these : — (1.) That the author calls himself Jo/m, evidently with the design of representing himself as the Apostle of that name, for (a) his supposed relation to the churehei of Asia Minor is such as the relation of the apostle John was, and (6) the name John, unless there was something to qualify it, would be naturally understood as referring to the apostle of that name. (2.) The fact that John lived at Ephesus, and was well known to the seven churches of Asia Minor. (3.) The fact that ho lived to extreme old age — to the time when the book was supposed to have been written. See § 2. (4.) The fact that there was a persecution in the time of Domi- tian, when this book is supposed to have been written,* and (5) what might be derived from a comparison of this book with the acknowledged writings of John. II. To confirm the argument, it is necessary to show the insufficiency of the reasons for doubting that John was the author. This point may be considered under two heads; — the alleged grounds for doubting that it was written by John by the ancients ; and the reasons alleged by the moderns. (1.) The ancients. (a) It has been maintained that it was rejected by Caius, a Presbyter at Rome. He flourished, according to Cave, about A. D. 210. See Lardner, ii. 394-410. There is a single passage in his writings from which it has been inferred that ho designed to reject the Apocalypse. This is in the following words : "And Cerin- thus also, who by his revelations, as if written by some great apostle, imposes upon us monstrous relations of things of his own invention, as shown him by an angel, says, ' that after the resurrection there shall be a terrestrial kingdom of Christ, and that men shall live again in Jerusalem, subject to sensual desires and pleasures. Jtnd being an enemy to the divine Scriptures, and desirous to sedueo mankind, he says there will be a term of a thousand years spent in nuptial enter- tainments.'" Lardner, ii. 400, 401. The whole force of this depends on the supposition that Caius meant to refer to Rev. XX. 4-6. But in regard to this the following remarks may be made : — (a) Caius was strongly opposed to Cerinthus and to his views ; {h) he was opposed to the pre- vailing doctrine of Chiliasm, or the doctrine of the Millennium, as then exten- sively held — that Christ would reign personally on the earth with his saints for a thousand years ; (c) it may be possible that Cerinthus may iave forged a work pretending to be of Apostolic origin, in which these doctrines were affirmed ; (d) it is possible that the book of Revelation, as left by John, may have been inter- polated and corrupted by Caius thus. Some one of these suppositions is more probable than the supposition that Caius meant to reject the book of Revelation:— for 1. Tho views referred to by Caius, as held by Cerinthus, aro not the vieTrn INTRODUCTION. xix which are found in Rev. xx. He spoke of a " terrestrial kingdom of Christ /' saj^ that "men would again live in Jerusalem;" that they "would be subject to sensual pleasures ;" and that the " time of the thousand years would be spent in nuptial entertainments." None of these opinions are found on the book of Re- velation as we now have it. 2. The title given by Caius to the book — Revelations instead of Revelation — 'ATTo/caAui/'tff — as we find it in the book itself, ch. i. 1, would seem to indicate a different work from that of John. Eusebius always refers to the Apocalypse by the noun singular (Prof. Stuart, i. 341), and this is the general manner in which the work has been designated. If Caius had designed to refer to this, it is proba- ble that he would have used the common term to designate it. 3. These views receive some confirmation from a passage in Theodoret, " who spoke of Cerinthus in such a way as seems to imply that he had forged an Apoca lypse for the promotion of his designs." That passage is, " Cerinthus forged cer- tain revelations as if he himself had seen them, and added descriptions of certain terrible things, and declares that the kingdom of the Lord will be established on the earth," &c. See Prof. Stuart, i. 342. On the whole, nothing of material im- portance can be derived from the testimony of Caius in proof that the Apocalypse was not believed to have been written by John. (b) Dionysius of Alexandria doubted the genuineness of the Apocalypse as being the production of John, though he did not deny its inspiration. He was made bishop of the See of Alexandria, A. D. 247, or 248, and died about A. D, 264, or 265. See Lardner, ii. 643-722. He was a pupil of Origen, and enjoyed a high reputation. The full testimony of Dionysius in regard to this book may be seen in Lardner, ii. G93-697. I wUl copy aU that is material to show his opinion. He says, "Some who were before us have utterly rejected and confuted this book, criticising every chapter; showing it throughout unintelligible and inconsistent; adding, moreover, that the inspiration is false, forasmuch as it is not Johii's ; nor is a revelation which is hidden under so obscure and thick a veil of ignorance." [Prof. Stuart (i. 346) translates this, "It contains, moreover, no revelation; for it is covered with a strong and thick veil of ignorance."] " And this not only no apostle, but not so much as any holy or ecclesiastical man was the author of this writing, but that Cerinthus, founder of the heresy caUed after him the Corinthian, the better to recommend his own forgery, prefixed to it an honorable name. For this they say was one of his particular notions, that the kingdom of Christ should be earthly; consisting of those things which he himself, a carnal and sensual man, most admired, the pleasures of the belly, and its concupiscence; that is, eating, and drinking, and marriage; and for the more decent procurement of these, feastings, and sacrifices, and slaughters of victims. But, for my part, I dare not reject the book, since many of the brethren have it in high esteem ; but allow- ing it to be above my understanding, I suppose it to contain throughout some latent and wonderful meaning ; for though I do not understand it, I suspect there must be some profound sense in the words ; not measuring and judging these things by my own reason, but ascribing more to faith, I esteem them too sublime %o be comprehended by me." Then, having quoted some passages from the book. XX INTRODUCTION. he adds, Bpeaking of the author, " I do not deny, then, that his name 13 John, and that this is John's book ; for I believe it to be the work of some holy abd inspired person. Nevertheless, I cannot easily grant him to be the apostle, the son of Zebedee, brother of James, whose is tho gospel ascribed to John, and the Catholic epistle ; for I conclude from the manner of each, and the term of expres- sion, and the conduct of the book, as we call it, that he is not the same person ; for the evangelist nowhere puts down his name, nor does he speak of himself either in the gospel or the epistle. I think, therefore, that he [the author] is another, one of them that dwelleth in Asia ; forasmuch as it is said, that there are two tombs at Ephesus, each of them called John's tomb. And from the sen- timent, and words, and disposition of them, it is likely that he differed from him [who wrote the gospel and epistle]." This is the sum of all that Dionysius says in regard to the genuineness of the book. Respecting this the following remarks may be made : — 1. Dionysius, though he did not regard the work as the work of John the* Apostle, yet received it as an inspired book, though far above his comprehension. 2. He does not agree with those who altogether rejected it, as if it were no revelation, and contained no inspired truth. 3. He did not ascribe it, as it has been supposed by some that Caius did, to Cerinthus. 4. All the objections that he urges to its being the work of the apostle John, are derived from the book itself, and from the difficulty of supposing that the Gospel of John, and the first epistle of John, should have been written by tho same author. He refers to no historical proof on that point; and does not even intimate that it genuineness had been called in question by the early writers. It is clear, therefore, that the objections of Dionysius should not be allowed to scb aside the strong and clear proofs of an historical nature already adduced from tho early Christian writers. See the opinion of Dionysius examined more at length in Prof. Stuart, i. 344^354. Comp. Hug. Intro, pp. 654-656. (c) It may be added, in regard to the historical testimony from the ancients, that the book is not found in many of the early catalogues of the books of the New Testament, and that this has been made an objection to its authenticity. Thus Gregory of Nazianzen, in a piece composed in verse, containing a cataloguo g, cKorla, So^d^eaOai, v^lovaOai, ^Uifi aldviog, dnoWvaQatf ylros (tovto) 'va ; the historic present. There are also favorite expressions of tho writer of this book, such as do not occur in John's authentic writings : oiKov^ivtjj trjoiiovfi, Kpareiv rb Svofia, rnv SiSa^^v, navTOKpdrwp, Oc^s Koi rar^jp, 6vvanis, Kparoff XXIV INTRODUCTION. i'^X^S, riiirj, np(j}r6T0K)S TwvvsKpiLv, j; apx^ rTjg kt'icxcws tov Oeov, b apx^^v twv ^anXiuv Tt'is yr}s, w<5£ in the beginning of a sentence. The conjunction d, so common in the Gospel, docs not occur in the Apocalypse ; but only el fi^, tl hi jxfi, and I'i m. The frequent joining of a substantive with [iiyag, as (/.wv;) ixiyaXrj, 6X11^15 iitydXr), (^6^05 fiiyas, azicrrjos yiiyag, rather reminds one of Luke than John ; yitii^wv, so frequent in the Gospel, is not found in the Revelation ,• and, on the contrary, laXvpos, which occurs seven times in the Apocalypse, is foreign to the Gospel. The following discrepancies between the language of the Gospel and that of the epistles have been noticed : d\vdiv6s is used of God both in the Gospel and the Apocalypse, but in different senses ; so also Kvpios, and tpyd^onai ; instead of t^£ the Apocalypse has only l?iov ; instead of 'ItpoadXvfia only 'ItpovaaXrm ) instead of fdv TL?, as in the Gospel, d ns ; irtpi, so often used by John, occurs only once in the Apocalypse, and that -too in relation to place ; ox^og is used in the plural. "Words denoting seeing are differently used in the Gospel and Apocalypse ; thus, for the present wo find in the latter (3\iTrtiv, Oeoipclv hpSv; for the aorist of the active clSov, /SAtVcn , and 6eo)pziv ; for the future dirrecrOai, and for the aorist of the passive also S-izrcaOai ; {livav has a different meaning from that which it bears in the Gospel ; instead of 6 «p;\;c/jv tov KocpLOV, and h rrovtjpds, we find 6 caravds, b bid^oXos, h SpaKwv b jiiyas. Such is a summary statement of an argument drawn Qut at great length by LUcke, De Wette, Ewald, and Credner. Some have attempted to turn aside its force by resorting to the hypothesis that the book was originally written in Hebrew, and then translated into Greek. This, however, is contradicted by the most decisive internal evidence, and is in itself highly improbable. The Apocalypse was written in the Greek language, as all antiquity attests. How then are we to account for its Hebraistic idioms and splecisms of language, its negligences of diction, and ungrammatical construc- tions? One circumstance to be taken into account is, that the nature of the Gospel is widely different from that of the Apocalypse, The latter is a prophetic book — a poetical composition — while the former is a simple record in prose, of the discourses of Jesus in the days of his flesh. It is apparent, too, that John in the Apocalypse imitates the manner of Ezekiel and Daniel. The New Testament prophet conforms to the diction and symbolic features of the former seers. ' If the question should be urged, why John chose these models? the obvious answer is, that he conformed to the taste of the times in which he lived. The numerous apocryphal works of an Apocalyptical nature, which were composed nearly at the same time with the Apocalypse, such as the book of Enoch, the Ascension of Isaiah, the Testament of the twelve patriarchs, many of the Sibylline Oracles, the fourth book of Ezra, the Pastor of Hermas, and many others which are lost — all testify to the taste and feelings of the times when, or near which, the Apocalypse was written. If this method of writing was more grateful to the time in which John lived, it is a good reason for his preferring it.* In consequence of such imitation, the diction has an Oriental character ; and the figures are in the highest style of imagery peculiar to the East. But it is said that John was an illiterate man. Illiterate, doubtless, he was as compared with Paul, who was brought up at the feet of Gamaliel ; yet he may have been capable of reading the Old Testa- naent books ; and he Avas certainly inspired. Rapt in ecstacy, he saw wondrous visions. He was in the Spirit. And when writing the things he beheld, his lan- guage was to be conformed to the nature of such marvellous revelations. It was to be adapted to the mysterious disclosures, the vivid pictures, the moving scenes, the celestial beings and scenery of which ho was privileged to tell. Hence it was to be lifted up far above the level of simple proso or biographic history, so as ta correspond with the sublime visions of the seer. Nor should it be forgotten that be was not in the circumstances of an ordinary writer. He was inspired. How often is this fact lost sight of by the German critics! It is therefore needless to Jcquire into his education in the Hebrew language, or his mental culture while residing in Asia Minor, or the smoothness of the Greek language as current in * Stuart, in the Biblipthoca Sacra, pp. 353, 864. INTRODUCTION. XX? the place where he lived, before and after he wrote the Apocalypse. The Holy Spirit qualified him beyond and irrespective of ordinary means, for the work of writing. However elevated the theme he undertook, he was assisted in employ- ing diction as elevated as the nature of the subject demanded. We place, there- fore, iittle reliance upon the argument derived from the time of life at which the Apocalypse was composed, though Olshausen and Guerike insist upon it. "Written, as they think, twenty years before the Gospel or epistles, the Apocalypse exhibits marks of inexperience in writing, of youthful fire, and of an ardent temperament. It exhibits the first essays of one expressing his ideas in a language to which he was unaccustomed. This may be true ; but we lay far less stress upon it than these authors seem inclined to do. The strong Hebraized diction of the book we account for on the ground that the writer was a Jew ; and, as such, expressed his Jewish conceptions in Greek ; that he imitated the later Old Testament prophets, especially the manner of Daniel ; and that the only prophetic writing in the New Testament naturally approaches nearer the Old Testament, if not in subject, at least in coloring and linguistic features. These considerations may serve to throw light upon the language of the book, after all the extravagances of assertion in regard to anomalies, solecisms, and ruggednesses, have been fairly estimated. For it cannot be denied that many rash and unwarrantable assumptions have been made by De Wette and others relative to the impure Greek said to be contained in the Apocalypse. Winer has done much to check such bold assertions, but with little success in the case of those who are resolved to abide by a strong and prevalent current of opinion. We venture to affirm, without fear of contradiction, that there are books of the New Testament almost as Hebraizing as the Apocalypse ; and that the anomalies charged to the account of the Hebrew language may be paralleled in other parts of the New Testament or in classical Greek. What shall be said, for instance, to the attempt of Hitzig to demonstrate from the language of Mark's Gospel, as compared with that of the Apocalypse, that both proceeded from one author, viz., John Mark ? This author has conducted a lengthened investigation with the view of showing that all the peculiarities of language found in the Apocalypse are equally presented in the second Gospel, particularly that the Hebraisms of the one correspond with those of the other. Surely this must lead to new investiga- tions of the Apocalyptic diction, and possibly to a renunciation of those extrava- gant assertions so often made in regard to the harsh, rugged, Hebraized Greek of the Apocalypse. Who ever dreamed before of the numerous solecisms of Mark's language ? and yet Hitzig has demonstrated its similarity to the Apocalyptic as plausibly as Ewald, Lucke, and ©thers have proved the total dissimilarity between the diction of the Apocalypse and that of John's Gospel. The length allotted to this article will not allow the writer to notice every term and phrase supposed to be peculiar. This can only be done with success by him who takes a concordance to the Greek Testament in his hand, with the determi- nation to test each example ; along with a good syntax of classical Greek, such as Bernhardy's. In this way he may see whether the alleged Hebraisms and anomalies have not their parallels in classical Greek. Some of the allegationa already quoted are manifestly incorrect, e. g. that uKovio with the genitive is not found in the Apocalypse. On the contrary, it occurs eight times with the genitive. Other words are adduced on the principle of their not occurring so frequently in the book before us as in the Gospel and epistles. But by this mode of reasoning it might be shown, that the other acknowledged writings of the apostle John, for instance his first epistle, are not authentic. Thus p^nara, one of the words quoted, though frequently found in the Gospel, is rot in any of the three epistles ; there- fore, these epistles were not written by John. It is found once in the Apocalypse. Again, ipyd^ofiai, which is found seven times in the Gospel, and once in the Apoca- lypse, as also once in each of the second and third epistles, is not in the first epistle ; therefore the first epistle proceeded from another writer than the author of the second and third. The same reasoning may be applied to Otwpiu). Again, it is alleged that the regular consjtruction of neuters plural with singular verbs is Qot found, with the exception #"'six instances. To say nothing of the laxge list XXVi INTRODUCTION. of exceptions, let it be considered, that the plural verb is joined with plural nouns where animate beings, especially persons, are designated. Apply now this principle, which regularly holds good in classical Greek, to the Apocalypse, and nothing peculiar will appear in the latter. Should there still remain examples of neuters plural designating things without life, we shall find similar ones in* the Greek writers. Another mode in which the reasoning founded upon the use of peculiar terms and expressions may be tested, is the following. It is admitted that there are words which occur in the Gospel and epistles, but not in the Apo- calypse. The adverb -avTort is an example. On the same principle and by virtue of the same reasoning, it may be denied, as far as language is concerned, that 1 Timothy was written by Paul, because navTore, which is found in his other epis- tles, does not occur in it. In this manner we might individually take up each word and every syntatical peculiarity on which the charge of harshness, or sole- cism, or Hebraizing has been fastened. It is sufficient to state, that there are very few real solecisms in the Apocalypse. Almost all that have been adduced may be paralleled in Greek writers, or in those of the New Testament. The words of Winer, a master in this department, are worthy of attention : * The solecisms that appear in the Apocalypse give the diction the impress of great harshness,^ but they are capable of explanation, partly from anacoluthon and the mingling of two constructions, partly in another manner. Such explanation should have been always adopted, instead of ascribing these irregularities to the ignorance of the author, who, in other constructions of a much more difficult nature in this very book, shows that he was exceedingly well acquainted with the rules of grammar. For most of these anomalies too, analogous examples in the Greek writers may be found, with this difference alone, that they do not follow one another so fre- quently as in the Apocalypse' {Grammatik, fiinfte Auflage, pp. 273, 4). Should the reader not be satisfied with this brief statement of Winer, he is referred to his Exeget. Studien, i. 154, sq., where the Professor enters into details with great ability. The following linguistic similarities between John's Gospel and the Apocalypse deserve to be cited : iiira ravra, Apoc. i. 19 ; iv. 1 ; vii. 1, 9 ; ix. 12 ; xv. 5 ; xviii. 1; xix. 1; xx. 3; Gosp. iii. 22 j v. 1, 14; vi. 1; vii. 1; xix. 38; xxi. 1; iii. 22; V. 1, 14; vi. 1; vii. 1; xix. 38; xxi. 1; fxaprvpia, Apoc. i. 2, 9 ; vi. 9; xi. 7; xii. 11, 17 ; xix. 10 ; xx. 4. Gosp. ftapTvpiu) or fiap-npia, i. 7, 8, 15, 19, 32, 34 ; ii. 25 ; iii. 11, 26, 28, 32, 33; iv. 3, 9, 44; v. 31, 32, 33, 34, 36, 37, 39; 1 Epist. i. 2; iv. 14; V. 6-11. Iva, Apoc. ii. 10, 21; iii. 9, 11, 18; vi. 2, 4, 11; vii. 1, &c. &e. Gosp. vi. 5, 7, 12, 15, 28, 29, 30, 38, 39, 40, 50; xi. 4, 11, 15, 16, 19, 31, 37, 42, 50, 52, 53, 55, 57; xii. 9, 10 20, 23, 35, &c. 1 Epist. of John, i. 3, 4, 9; ii. 1, 19, 27, 28. dylts, Gosp. vii. 24; xi. 44. Apoc. i. 16. tTid^eiv, Apoc. xix. 20. Gosp. vii. 30, 32, 44; viii. 20; x. 39; xi. 57; xxi. 3, 10. TTjpelv t6v Xdyov, ras tvroXds, or some similar expression, Apoc. iii. 8, 10 ; xii. 17 ; xiv. 12 ; xxii. 7, 9. Gosp. viii. 51, 55 ; xiv. 15; xxiii. 24, &c. b vikuv, Apoc. ii. 7, 11, 17, 26; iii. 5, 15, 21; xv. 2 ; xxi. 7. This verb is quite common in the first epistle, ii. 13, 14 ; iv. 4 ; v. 4, 5. Gosp. xvi. 33. vSoip ^otrjg, Apoc. xxi. 6 ; xxii. 17 ; comp. Gosp. vii. 38. Com- pare also the joining together of the present and the future in Apoc. ii. 5 and Gosp. xiv. 3. The assertion of the same thing positively and negatively, Apoc. ii. 2, 6, 8, 13 ; iii. 8, 17, 21 ; Gosp. i. 3, 6, 7, 20, 48 ; iii. 15, 17, 20 ; iv. 42 ; v. 19, 24; viii. 35, 45; x. 28; xv. 5, 6, 7. 1 Epist. ii. 27, &c. In several places in the Apocalypse Christ is called the Lamb; so also in the Gospel, i. 29, 36. Christ is called 6 Xdyoi tov Qtov, Apoc. xix. 13, and in the Gospel of John only haa he the same epithet, rripclv ik tivos, Apoc. iii. 10. Gosp. xvii. 15. cipdrTuv, Apoc. V. 6, 9, 12; vi. 4, 9; xiii. 3, 8; xviii. 24; only in the 1st Epist. of John, iii. 12. exiiv nipos, Apoc. xx. 6. Gosp. xiii, 8. irspnzaTe^v fuTa tivos, Apoc. iii. 4. Gosp. vi. 66. GKtjvio), Apoc. vii. 15; xii. 12; xiii. 6; xxi. 3. Gosp. i. 14. The expulsion of Satan from heaven is expressed thus in the Apoc, xii. 9 : iP'X^Or} cig "rijv yrjv ; in the Gosp. it is said, vvv b ap^wv tov Kdcpov tovtov hfiXriOijffErai e^u), xii. 31. (See Scholz, Die Apokalypse des heilig. Johannes iibersetzt, crkldrt, u. s w. Frankfurt am Main, 1828, 8vo.; Schulz, Z7e?ier den SchriflstcJler, Character une, Wertk des Johannes, Leipzig, 1803, 8vo. ; Donker Curtiu's, Specimen hermenevii- INTRODUCTION. XXvii cotheologicum de Apocalypsi ah indole, doctrina et scribendi genere Johannis Apostoli non abhorrente, Trajecti Batav. 1799. 8vo.; Kolthoff, Apocalypsis Joanni Apostoli vindicata, Hafniae, 1834, Svo.; Stein (in Winer and Engelhardt's Krilisch. Jourfial, v. i.), and the Jena Literatur-Zeitung for April, 1833, No. 61). It is true, that some of these expressions are said by LUcke, De Wette, and Credner, to be used in a different sense in the Apocalypse ; others not to be cha- racteristic, but rather accidental and casual; others not original, but borrowed. Such assertions, however, proceed more from a priori assumption than from any inherent truth they possess. In regard to the charge of cabbalism, especially ia the use of numbers, it is easily disposed of. The cabbala of the Jews was widely difierent from the instances in the Apocalypse that have been quoted. Perhaps John's use of the number 666 comes the nearest to one kind of the cabbala; but still it is so unlike as to warrant the conclusion that the apostle did not employ the cabbalistic art. His mysterious indications of certain facts, and the reasons of their being in some measure involved in darkness, are explicable on other than Jewish grounds. There is no real cause for believing that the apostle had recourse to the artificial and trifling conceits of the Eabbins. In short, this argument is by no means conclusive. As far as the language is concerned nothing militates against the opinion that the Apocalypse proceeded from John, who wrote the Gospel. The contrary evidence is not of such a nature as to demand assent. When rigidly scrutinized, it does not sustain the conclusion so confidently built upon it. But it is also aflSrmed, that the doctrinal views and sentiments inculcated in the Apocalypse are quite diflFerent from those found in the Gospel. This may be freely allowed without any detriment to their identity of anthorship. How slow the Germans are in learning that a difference in the exhibition of truths substan- tially the same, is far from being a contradiction ! A difference of subject in con- nection with a different plan, demands correspondent dissimilarity of treatment. Besides, there must be a gradual development of the things pertaining to the kingdom of God on earth. Sensuous expectations of the Messiah, such as are alleged to abound in the Apocalypse, may be perfectly consistent with the spi- rituality of his reign, though it appears to us that the representations so designated are figurative, shadowing forth spiritual realities by means of outward objects. But what is to be said of the pneumatological, demonological, and angelogical doctrines of the book ? The object for which John's Gospel was primarily written did not lead the apostle to introduce so many particulars regarding angels and evil spirits. The intervention of good and the malignant influence of evil spirits are clearly implied in the Old Testament prophets, particularly in Zechariah and Daniel. It is therefore quite accordant with the prophetic Hebraistic character of the Apocalypse, to make angelic agency a prominent feature in the book. And that such agency is recognised in the Gospels, is apparent to the most curscry reader. The special object with which the fourth Gospel was written was different from that which prompted the composition of the Apocalypse, and therefore the subject-matter of both is exceedingly diverse. But still there is no opposition in doctrine. The same doctrinal views lie at the foundation of all the representa- tions contained in them. In the one, the Redeemer is depicted in his humble career on earth ; in the other, in his triumphs as a king — or rather, in the victo- rious progress of his truth in the world, notwithstanding all the efforts of Satan and wicked men to suppress it. As to a spirit of revenge in the Apocalyptio writer, it is not found. The inspired prophet was commissioned to pronounce woes and judgments as soon to befal the enemies of Christ, in consequence of their persevering, malignant efforts. As well might an evil disposition be attributed to the blessed Saviour himself, in consequence of his denunciation of the Scribes and Pharisees. The same John who wrote the Apocalypse says, in the second epistle, ver. 10, *if there come any unto you and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed.' It must ever strike the simple reader of the Apocalypse, as a positive ground for attributing the author- ship to John the Apostle, that he styles himself the servant of God by way of tminence, which none other at that time would have ventured to do ; and that if XXVm INTRODUCTION. employs tlie expression, / John, after tlio manner of Daniel, as if he weie the only prophet and person of the name. Nor can it be well believed that a disciple of the apostle, or any other individual, should have presumed to introduce John as the speaker, thus deceiving the readers. The apostle was well known to the Christians of his time, and especially to the Asiatic churches. He did not there- fore think it necessary to say John the Apostle for the sake of distinguishing himself from any other. (See Ziillig's Die Ojfenharung Johannis, Stuttgart, 1834, 6vo. p. 136.)" ^ 2. TTie time of writing the Apocalypse, The evidence as to the date of the Apocalypse, may be considered as external t>r historical, and internal. 1. External or historical. On this point the testimony of the early Christian fathers is almost or quite uniform, that it was in the latter part of the life of the apostle John, and towards the end of the reign of Domitian j that is about A. D. 95 or 96. The principal testimony to this fact is that of Irenseus. It will be recollected that he was a disciple of Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna, who was himself the disci- ple of the apostle John. See § 1, (6). He had, therefore, every opportunity of obtaining correct information, and doubtless expresses the common sentiment of his age on the subject. His character is unexceptionable, and he had no induce- ment to bear any false or perverted testimony in the case. His testimony is plain and positive that the book was written near the close of the reign of Domitian, and the testimony should be regarded as decisive unless it can be set aside. His lan- guage in regard to the book of Revelation is : — "It was seen no long time ago, but ulmost in our age, at the end of the reign of Domitian." Lardner, ii. 181. Or, as the passage is translated by Prof. Stuart: — " The Apocalypse was seen not long ago, but almost in our generation, near the end of Domitian's reign." There can be no doubt, therefore, as to the meaning of the passage, or as to the time when Irenaeus believed the book to have been written. Domitian was put to death A. D. 96, and consequently, according to Irenaeus, the Apocalype must have been written not far from this time. This testimony of Irenaeus is confirmed by that of Clement of Alexandria. Relating the weU-known story of John and the robber, he speaks of the event as having occurred on his return from exile in Patmos ''after the death of the tyrant," and represents him as then an infirm old man. The testimony in the book itself, (ch. i. 9,) is clear that John was on the island of Patmos, when these visions were seen. The ''tyrant" whose death is here referred to, must necessarily be either Nero or Domitian, as these were, up to the end of the first century, the only im- perial persecutors of the Christians. It cannot Iro supposed to be Nero, since at the time of his persecution (A. D. 64) John could not be supposed to be an "infirm old man," being probably not much above, if indeed so much as sixty years of age. See Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. B. iii. ch. 23. Of this testimony, Prof. Stuart, who him- self supposes that the Apocalypse was written before the death of Nero, says (i. 264), "The tyrant here meant is probably Domitian; at least, although he Is not earned by Clement, it is clear that Eusebius so understands the matter." INTRODUCTION. xxix Victorinus, Bishop of PettaTV, and martyr in Diocletian's persecution, in his Commentary on the Apocalypse, written towards the close of the third century, says twice expressly that the Apocalypse was seen by the apostle John in the isle of Patmos, when banished thither by the Roman Emperor Domitian. See the passages quoted in Elliott, i. 39, and in Prof. Stuart, i. 264. The testimony is un- equivocal. To these testimonies from the early Fathers, may be added that of Jerome, who says that ** John saw the Apocalypse on the island of Patmos, to which he was sent by Domitian," and in another place he says that this occurred in the four- teenth year of the reign of Domitian. Adv. Jovin. Lib. i., Lardner, iv. 446, 447. And to these plain testimonies may be added those of Sulpicius Severus, and Orosius, contemporaries of Augustine j Gregory Turonensis (cent, vi.), Isidorus Hispaleusis (cent, vii.), Marianus Scotus, Primasius, and others. See Prof. Stuart, i. 264, 265, and EUiott, i. 38, 39. Such is the positive testimony that the book was written near the end of the reign of Domitian, and about A. D. 96. It is true that, notwithstanding this posi- tive testimory, there were some writers who assigned it to an earlier date. Thus Epiphanius, Bishop of Salamis in Cyprus, in the latter half of the fourth century, speaks of John as having prophesied in the isle of Patmos in the days of the em- peror Claudius (A. D. 41-54), a time when, as Michaelis observes, it does not ap- pear from history that there was any imperial persecution of Christians whatever- and when, moreover, the probability is that, of the seven Apocalyptic chiirches^ scarcely one was in existence, and the apostle John was in no way associated witli them. Lardner (iv. 190) seems to suspect that in the passage referred to, the name Claudius was a fault of the transcriber. Epiphanius, however, received the Apocalypse as the work of John, and as an inspired book. Lardner, iv. 190. Others have ascribed the date of the book of Revelation to the time of Nero. Thus in th« later Syriac version, the title-page declares that it was written in Patmos, whither John was sent by Nero Cesar. This version, however, was made in the beginning of the sixth century, and can have little authority in determining the question. It is not known by whom the version was made, or on what authority the author relied, when he said that John was banished to Patmos in the time of Nero. So also Andreas and Arethas, commentators on the book of Revelation, one of them in the beginning of the sixth century, and the other in the middle of the sixth century, make quotations from the book in such a manner as to show that they supposed that it was written before the destruction of Jeru- salem. They, however, made no express declaration on that point, and their tes- timony at any rate, at that late period, is of little value. A few other later writers also supposed that the book was written at an earlier period than the reign of Domitian. See Prof. Stuart, i. 268, 269. Such is the sum of the historical testimony as to the time when the Apocalypse was written ; and that testimony, it seems to me, is so clear as to settle the point so far as the historical evidence is concerned, that the book was written near the end of the reign of Domitian, that is, about A. D. 95 or 96. My exposition of the book proceeds on the supposition that it was written at that time. 3* XXX INTRODUCTION. 2. There is another inquiry, however, as to the internal evidence, for on this ground it has been maintained that it must have been written before the destruc- tion of Jerusalem, and in the time of Nero. See the argument in Prof. Stuart, L 270-282. Now, in regard to this, it may be remarked in general, that on the supposi- tion that it was written near the close of the life of John, and in the time of Do- mitian, it can be shown that there is no internal improbability or inconsistency; that is, in other words, all the known circumstances in regard to John, and to the condition of the church at that time, would accord with that supposition. For, (a) It is known that John spent many of the later years of his life at Ephesus, in the midst of the seven churches to which the book was addressed, and the epistles in the book are such as they would be on that supposition. (6) It is admitted that there was a persecution of Christians in the time of Do-c mitian ; and of the persecution which he excited against Christians Mosheim re- marks that "he was an emperor little inferior to Nero in baseness of character and conduct. This persecution undoubtedly was severe; but it was of short continu- ance, as the emperor was soon murdered." Mosheim, i. 69. It commenced about A. D, 93 or 94. It is not certainly known how far it extended, but as the ground of the persecution was a fear of Domitian that he would lose his empire from some person among the relatives of Christ who would attempt a revolution (Mosheim, i. 69, MUman, Hist, of Christianity, 193), there is every probability that it would be directed particularly to the East, and the countries near where the Saviour lived and died. (c) It is not improbable that John would be hanisJied in this persecution. He was a man of great influence among Christians, and it is to be presumed that he would not escape the notice of those who were actively engaged in carrying on the persecution. Moreover, it is as probable that he would be banished as that he would be put to death, for, though we have few facts respecting this persecution, and few names are mentioned, yet we have one recorded instance in which banish- ment on account of professing the Christian religion took place. Thus Milman (Hist, of Christianity, p. 193), speaking of two of the cousin-germans of Domitian, ijays, "The one fell an early victim to his jealous apprehensions. The other. Flavins Clemens, is described as a man of the most contemptible indolence of character. His powerful kinsman, instead of exciting the fears, enjoyed for some time the favor of Domitian. He received in marriage Domitilla, the niece of the emperor; his children were adopted as heirs to his throne; Clemens himself ob- tained the consulship. On a sudden these harmless kinsmen became dangerous conspirators ; they were arraigned on the unprecedented charge of Atheism and Jewish manners; the husband Clemens was put to death; the wife Domitilla, banished to the desert island of either Fontia or Pandataria." Nothing is more probable, therefore, than that John the Apostle should be also banished to a desert inland — and Patmos was admirably adapted to such a purpose. See Notes on ch. L 9. There is, therefore, every thing in the circumstances to make it probable that the book was written at the time in which it is so uniformly said by the early hifltorians to have been. Those things seem to me to make it proper to acquiesce INTRODUCTION. XXXi tn the general opinion so long entertained in regard to the date of the Apocalypse, for there is, perhaps, no book of the New Testament whose date is better deter- mined on historical grounds than this. These considerations also make it un- necessary to examine the alleged internal evidence from the book, that it was written before the destruction of Jerusalem, especially as it wiU be shown in the Notes, that the passages usually relied on, ch. vi. 9, 10; vii.; xi. 3, 8; xvii. 8, li, and ch. i. 1, 3; xxii. 7, 20, are susceptible of an easy and satisfactory explanation on the supposition that the book was written in the time of Domitian, or after the destruction of Jerusalem. ^ 3. The place where the look was written. The book itself purports (ch. i. 9), to have been written in the island of Patmoe, ^here the writer says he was "for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jssus Christ:" that is, clearly, where he had been banished for his attachment to the Saviour. For an account of this island, see Notes in ch. i. 9. The only question that has ever been raised on this point is, whether this was a reality, or a poetical fiction; that is, whether the writer in his visions merely seemed to have been transferred to the place, and this was made the imaginary scene of the vision. The latter supposition has been entertained by Eichhorn in his Introduction to the New Testament (1810), and by some other writers. In favor, however, of understanding this as a literal fact, the following conside- rations may be suggested: 1. The clear statement of the writer himself (ch. i. 9) : — a statement that should be received as literally true, unless there is something in the character of the com- position, or some intrinsic improbability in the case, to ^et it aside. If the com- position were avowedly fictitious or poetical, then it would be understood that Buch a statement was not to be received literally. And thus, in a prophetic record it might be clear that it was a mere visionary representation in which the prophet seemed to be transported to some place, where there would be no danger of mis- understanding it. Undoubtedly on this principle some of the visions of Ezekiel and Jeremiah are to be regarded as located at some place remote from that where the prophet was; and thus many of the visions in this book are located in heaven or elsewhere. But these cases are wholly different from the statement in ch. i. 9. Patmos is not represented as the mere scene of a vision. The statement occurs In a plain prose narrative, and there is no intrinsic improbability that it is true. 2. This accords with the representation of history, and with the probabilities of the case, that John was actually banished to Patmos in a time of persecution. See ^ 2. On this point the representations of history are uniform, and they are such that if a writer had designed to forge a book in the name of John, he would in all probability have fixed on Patmos as the scene of the vision from the fact that he was actually banished there. 3. If Patmos was merely a fictitious place, why should John select it? What was there in that island that would have occurred to him as a proper place to be the scene of such visions? It was little known; it had no sacred associations; it XXXU INTKODUCTION. had never been represented as a place visited by the Most High; and it had n« particular relation to the scenes which are referred to. One born in Judea and trained under the influence of the Hebrew religion; one who was a disciple of Christ, and who had witnessed the scene of the transfiguration or the ascension, would hare been much more likely to select Sinai, Carmel, Hermon, Tabor, or Olivet, as the scene where the visions were to be laid. These were consecrated spots. On these God had manifested himself in a peculiar manner; had conversed with men, and had given glorious exhibitions of his character and plans. "Why should not one of these spots — any one of them in itself is as well adapted to be the scene of such visions as the lonely isle of Patmos — have teen selected? Why was a Grecian island chosen — a place not once named in all the sacred writings, and so small and so desolate as to have been almost entirely, before this, unknown even in the heathen world? 4. All the circumstances have the aspect of reality. It was a real persecution to which the writer refers, and it was a real affliction which he was experiencing, and the concinnity of the passage requires us to understand this as a real transfer to a lonely island. If that were a mere vision, then we should be required also, to understand the statement that he was "a companion of others in tribulation," as a vision also, and his affliction as an account of an ideal transfer to that island. But this is contrary to the spirit of the passage in ch. i. 9; and the whole, there- fore, should be understood as the statement of a literal fact. These considerations are sufflcient to show that the tommon opinion that the visions were seen in the island of Patmos has every probability in its favor, and should be received as correct. Whether the record was actually made on that island, or was made afterwards, is a point on which no light can be observed, and which is of no importance. From such passages, however, as those in ch. x. 4; xiv. 13 ; xix. 9, and xxi. 5, it would seem probable that the record was made as seon as the visions were seen, and that the book was actually written in Patmos. I 4. TJie nature and design of the hook. This must be learned from an examination of the book itself, and the views en- tertained on this point wiU be determined in a great measure by the principles which are adopted in interpreting it. From the examination which I have given of the book, and the methods of interpretation which I have adopted, it seems to mo that the matter and design of the book may be expressed in the following specifi- cations : — 1. It was composed in a time of persecution, and in view of the persecutions and hostilities, external and internal, to which the church was then, and would be, ex- posed. Christianity was then in its infancy. It was comparatively feeble. It encountered the opposition of the world. The arm of the civil power was raised to crush it. It was also exposed to the attacks of internal foes, and persecutions would arise from its own bosom, and formidable enemies in future times would seem to endanger its very existence. Heresies, and divisions, and •orruptions of doctrine and of practice, might be expected to exist in its owa INTRODUCTION. XaXlli bosom ; times of conflict and darkness would come; changes would occur in govern- ments, that would deeply aflfect the welfare of the church; and there might bo periods when it would seem to be doubtful whether the titie church would not become wholly extinct. The faith of Christians was, doubtless, sorely tried in the persecution which existed when the book was written, and would be in like man- ner often sorely tried in the corruptions and persecutions of future ages. 2. The Apocalypse is designed to meet this state of feeling by furnishing the assurance that the Gospel would ultimately prevail; that all its enemies would be subdued, and the kingdom of the Messiah set up over all the world. It was intended to impart consolation to the people of God in all ages, and in all forms of persecution and trial, by the assurance that the true religion would be at last triumphant, thus furnishing an illustration of the truth of the declara- tions of the Savior respecting the church, that the "gates of hell should not pre- vail against it." Matt. xvi. 18. Hence every thing in the book tends to the final triumph of the gospel; and hence, at the close (ch. xx.), we have the assurance of its far-spread diffusion over the earth, for a period of a thousand years, and (chs. xxi. xxii.) a graphic view of the state of the redeemed when they shall be delivered from sin and wo, and when all tears shall be wiped away from theb eyes. 3. The method of doing this is by giving a rapid glance at the great events of history bearing on the church in all coming times till it should be triumphant; oi by sketching a bold outline of the principal things that would serve to endanger the church, and the principal divine interpositions in behalf of the church, until its triumph should be secured upon the earth. This might have been done by direct statement, or by plain and positive assertion, as it was by many of the prophets; but the end, in this case, would be better secured by a glance at future history in such a way that while the great fact of the final triumph of the gospel would be kept before the church, there might be furnished a clear demon- stration, in the end, of the divine origin and inspiration of the book itself. This latter object, indeed, would have been in fact accomplished by a plain declaration, but it would be best accomplished by such details as would show that the whole course of events was comprehended by the Holy Spirit — the real author of the whole. A general view of these details may be seen, according to the principles which I have adopted in the interpretation of the work, in the analysis at the close of the introduction, § 5. 4. The method in which this is mainly done in this book is by pictures or symbols ; for, above all the other books in the Bible, the Apocalypse is charac- terised by this method of representation, and it may eminently be called a book of symbols. It is this which has made it appear to be so obscure; and this parti- cularly which has given occasion for so great a variety in the methods of inter- preting it — for there is no kind of representation that furnishes occasion for so much fanciful interpretation as that of symbolical writing. The true principle of interpreting symbolical language has been hitherto little understood, and conse- quently every writer has indulged his own fancy in affixing such a meaning to the symbol as he chose. The result has been that there has been no generally ad- XXXIV INTRODUCTION. mitted principle of interpretation respecting this book, and that the variety of conjectures indulged, and the wUd and vain theories advanced, have produced the~ impression that the book is not susceptible of a plain and sensible exposition. A very common belief is, that symbolical language must, from the nature of the case, be obscure and unintelligible, and that a book written in the manner of the Apoca- lypse must always be liable to the wUd vagaries of imagination which have been 60 commonly exhibited in the attempts to explain this book. These considerations make it proper to offer a few remarks here about the nature of symbolical language, and on the question whether a book written in that language is necessarily unin- telligible, or incapable of a plausible interpretation. A symbol is properly a representation of any moral thing by the images or pro- perties of natural things. Thus a circle is a symbol of eternity, as having neither beginning nor end; an eye is a symbol of wisdom; a lion of courage; a lamb of meekness and gentleness. This general idea of symbols is found in types, enigmas, parables, fables, allegories, emblems, hieroglyphics, &c. The symbols mostly used in the book of Revelation are pictures, and could be painted — and indeed a great part of the book could be represented in a panorama, and would constitute a series of the most splendid drawings that the world can conceive. The following re- marks may throw some light on the reason why this mode of representation was adopted, and on the question whether a book written in this manner is necessarily anintelligible. (a) This method of representation is not uncommon in the ancient prophecies. A considerable portion of Daniel and Ezekiel is written in this way; and it is often resorted to by Isaiah and the other prophets. It was a method of representation which accorded well with the warm and glowing imagination of the Orientals, and with the character of mind in the early periods of the world. It was supposed to be capable of conveying ideas of important events; although it was doubtless un- derstood that there might be some degree of obscurity in the representation, and that study and ingenuity might be requisite in understanding it — as is always the case with parables and enigmas. We have frequent instances in the Bible of a certain kind of trial of skill in expounding dark sayings and riddles, when the sense was intentionally so conveyed as to demand acuteness of thought in the ex- planation. The utterance of truths in symbolic language accorded much with this prevailing bent of mind in the ancient and the oriental world — as we see in the aymbolical representations in Egypt. If the use of symbols, therefore, in the Apocalypse be urged as an objection to the book, the objection would lie with equal force against no small part of the writings of the ancient Hebrew prophets, and against a method of writing which was actually in extensive use in the early ages of the world. To object to it, must be to object that our own methods and views were not the views and methods of all past ages; that the improved modes of communication in existence now were not in existence always. (6) Such a method of representation may be, however, clear and intelligible. The purpose of prophecy does not require that there should be in all cases an ex- plicit statement of what will occur, or a particular detail of names, dates, and cir- eumstances — for if such a statement were made, it is plain that it would be INTRODUCTION. XXXV possible, on the one hand, for an impostor so to shape his conduct as to seem te fulfil the prophecy, and, on the other, for wicked men, knowing exactly what was predicted, to prevent its fulfilment. All that is demanded in such predictions is (1) su?h a statement as undoubtedly refers to the future event; (2) such a state- ment as, when fairly interpreted, describes such an event; and (3) such a state- ment as that, when the event occurs, it shall be clear that this was the event referred to, or that the prediction cannot properly be referred to any other event: that is, so that they shall compare with each other as the two parts of a tally do. Now that symbolical language may have these characteristics, and may be in these respects sufficiently clear and plain, is evident from the following consi- derations:— 1. A picture may be a correct representation of an event. It was thus among the Mexicans, who, by means of pictures, were enabled to give a correct represent- ation of the landing of the Spaniards, and to convey to their monarch a correct idea of the number and character of the Spanish forces. The following extract from Dr. Robertson's History of America, Book v. § xii., referring to the landing of the Spaniards in Mexico, will illustrate this: "During this interview [an interview between Cortes and the ambassadors of Montezuma], some painters in the train of the Mexican chiefs, had been diligently employed in delineating, upon white cotton cloths, figures of the ships, the horses, the artillery, the soldiers, and whatever else attracted their eyes, as singular. "When Cortes observed this, and was informed that these pictures were to be sent to Montezuma, in order to convey to him a more lively idea of the strange and wonderful objects now presented to their view, than any words could communicate, he resolved to render the representation still more animated and interesting, by exhibiting such q, spectacle as might give both them and their monarch an awful impression of the extraordinary prowess of his followers and the irresistible force of their arms." 2. A symbol may be as definite in its signification as the arbitrary character which constitutes a letter with us, or the arbitrary character which denotes a syllable or a word with the Chinese. There is some reason to believe that the letters in most languages were at first pictures or symbols; but whether this is true or not, it is easy to conceive that such might have been the case, and that as definite ideas might have been attached to the symbols employed as to the arbi- trary marks or signs. Thus, it is easy to suppose that a circle, a lion, an eagle, a horse, a banner, an axe, a lamb, might have been so employed as always to denote the same thing, in the same way as the letters of the alphabet do, and thus, con- sequently, the number of symbols employed might have been very numerous, though still retaining their definite character. 3. The truth of these remarks has been illustrated by the recent investigations of the symbolical language or hieroglyphical signs in Egypt. On the celebrated Rosetta stone, an inscription was found in three compartments of the stone, in three different languages — the first in hieroglyphical or symbolical language, the language used by the priests; the second in enchorical or demotic language — the language in common use among the Egyptian people; and the third in Greek. It was conjectured that the inscription in each language was the same/ and that XXXVl INTRODUCTION. consequently there might be a key for explaining the symbols or the hiero* glyphics so common in Egypt. Acting on this suggestion, Champollion waa enabled to read the inscription in the Egyptian language, and to determine the meaning of the symbols in so common use in the ancient inscriptions, and the symbolical language of Egypt became as intelligible as other ancient forms of record — as it was undoubtedly when it was at first employed. Each of the symbols had a well-known signification, and was adapted to convey a definite idea. An account of this stone, and of the symbols of Egypt generally, may be seen in Gliddon's Ancient Egypt, ch. i. The symbols employed by the Hebrew prophets may have had, as used by them, as definite a meaning, and may be as susceptible of as clear an interpretation now, as the symbols employed in Egypt, or aa any other language. The only real difficulty in interpreting them may have arisen from the fact that they referred to future events (see Notes on Rev. xvi. 12) ; the employment of such methods of writing was in accordance with the genius of the Orientals, and gave great poetic beauty to their compositions. 4. It should be added, however, that peculiar care is necessary in the interpre- tation of writings of this character. There is much room for the indulgence of the imagination, and facts have shown that in almost nothing has so much indulgence been given to the fancy as in the interpretation of such books as Daniel and the Apocalypse. Indeed the explanations of these books have been so loose and wild as, with many, to bring the whole science of the interpretation of the prophecies into contempt, and to produce the very common impression that a rational and consistent exposition of such books as Daniel and the Apocalypse is impossible. A better mode of interpretation, it is hoped, however, is to prevail; a mode in which there will be more careful attention to the true meaning of symbols, and to the proper laws of symbolic language. The true method may not have been reached, and many errors may occur before it shall be reached. For many ages the meaning of the Egyptian hieroglyphics was entirely unknown. Thousands of conjectures had been made as to the method of reading those symbols; vast ingenuity had been exhausted; the hope was sometimes entertained that the clew had been discovered, but it was at last felt that all those proposed methods were fanciful, and the world had settled down in despair as to the pos- sibility of deciphering their meaning. The accidental discovery of the Rosetta stone, and the patient labors of De Sacy, Akerblad, Tychsen, and especially of Champollion, have changed the views of the world on that subject, and the hiero- glyphics of Egypt have become as intelligible as any other language. It is possible that the same may be true in regard to the meaning of the symbol* of the sacred prophets; and that although those of Daniel and John may have seemed to be as obscure as those of Egypt, and although the most wild and extravagant opinions may ha,Te been entertained in regard to their meaning, yet the time may come when those books shall take their place among the well-understood portions of the Bible, and when the correspondence of the predictions couched under these symbols v/ilh the events shall be so clear that there shall be no lingering doubt on any mind tl;at they are a part of the divine communications to mankind. Whether this attempt to explain one of those books will contribute any thing to a better INTRODUCTION. XXXVIJ understanding of the true meaning of the symbolical language employed by the prophets, must be submitted to the judgment of the reader. ^ 5. The plan of ilie Apocalypse. The book of Revelation may be regarded as divided into seven portions, cm- bracing the following general points: — The Introduction, ch. i. ; The Epistles to the seven churches, chs. ii. iii. ; The Preparatory Vision, ch. iv. ; The relation of the church to the external world, embracing the outward or secular aspect of things as bearing on the church, chs. v.-xi., 1-18; The internal state of the church — embracing the rise and destiny of Antichrist ,• or, the internal history of the church until the overthrow of that formidable power, and the permanent and triumphant establishment of the kingdom of Christ, the last temporary apostacy, and the general judgment, chs. xi. 19; xii.-xx.; The final condition of the righteous in their state of triumph and glory, chs. xxi. xxii. 1-5 ; and the epilogue or con- clusion, ch. xxii. 6-21. This plan, as pursued in this a^ tempt to explain the book, may be Been mere in detail in \he Analysis on the following pages. ANALYSIS OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION. PART FIRST. GENERAL INTRODUCTION, CH. I. 1. The title and design of the Book, ch. i. 1-3. 2. Dedication to the seven churches of Asia, ch. i. 4-8. 3. Vision of the Redeemer, ch. i. 9-18. 4. Commission to write to the seven churches, ch. i. 19, 20. PART SECOND. EPISTLES TO THE SEVEN CHURCHES OF ASIA, CHS. II. HI. 1. Epistle to the church at Ephesus, ch. ii. 1-7. 2. Epistle to the church at Smyrna, ch. ii. 8-11. 3. Epistle to the church at Pergamos, ch. ii. 12-17. 4. Epistle to the church at Thyatira, ch. ii. 18-29. 6. Epistle to the church at Sardis, ch. iii. 1-6. 6. Epistle to the church at Philadelphia, ch. iii. 7-13. 7. Epistle to the church at Laodicea, ch. iii. 14r-22. PART THIRD. PREPARATORY VISION, CH. IV. 1. The scene laid in heaven, ch. iv. 1, 2. 2. The vision of God, of. the elders, and of the living creatures, ch. iv. 5-i. 3. The worship rendered to God, ch. iv. 9-11. PART FOURTH. rHE EXTERNAL RELATIONS OF THE CHURCH — THE .RELATION TO SECULAR AFFAIRS, POLITICAL CHANGES AND REVOLUTIONS, AS BEARING ON THE CHURCH, CHS. V-XI., 1-18. I. The sealed book, containing the record of these events, in the band of him that sat on the throne. The Lamb of God only couM open it. The joy in heaven tlxat one was found who could open the seals, ch. v. (xxxviii) ANALYSIS. XXXIX TL The opening of the seals. 1. The opening of the first seal, ch. vi. 1, 2. TXr white horse. Peace, prosperity, and triumph: — fulfilled in the state of the Roman empire from, the death of Domitian, A. D. 96, to the acceB- 3ion of Commodus, A. D. 180. 2. The opening of the second seal, ch. vi. 3, 4. The red horse. Bloodshed, discord, civil strife : — fulfilled in the state of the Roman empire from the death of Commodus, A. D. 193, and on- ward. 3. The opening of the third seal, ch. vi. 5, 6. The black horse. Calamity, distress, want, trouble : — fulfilled in the Roman empire in the scarcity of food that prevailed ; the excessive taxation ; the special order not to destroy the olive-yards and vineyards, the sources of revenue, in the time of Caracalla, A. D. 211, and onward. 4. The opening of the fourth seal, ch. vi. 7, 8. The pale horse. The reign of Death, in the form of famine, pestilence, disease : — fulfilled in the Roman empire in the bloodshed, famine, and pestOence that prevailed in the time of Decius, Gallus, ^milianus. Va- lerian, and Gallianus, A. D. 243-268. 5. The opening of the fifth seal, ch. vi. 9-11. The martyrs. Fulfilled in the Roman empire in the persecutions, particu- larly in the time of Diocletian, A. D. 284-304 : — the last of the efi"orts in the Pagan world to extinguish the Christian name. 6. The opening of the sixth seal, ch. vi. 12-17. Consternation and alarm as if the world was coming to an end: — fulfilled in the Roman empire in the threatening invasions of the Goths in the neighborhood of the Danube, pressed on by the Huns, and producing universal alarm and consternation, A. D. 365, and onwards. Intermediate vision between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals. A view of the persecution of the church, and the glory of the saints in [heaven — designed to sustain the mind in the midst of so much gloom, and to furnish the assurance that innumerable multitudes of men would be brought to glory, ch. ▼ii. (a) The impending storm of wrath that seemed to threaten universal de- struction is suspended in order that the servants of God might be sealed, ch. vii. 1-3. (6) The sealing process — indicating the preservation of the church in these times of danger, and the influences that would designate and save the true people of God in all time to come, ch. vii. 4-8. (c) A vision of an immense host before the throne, gathered out of all people and aU lands, ch. vii. 9-12. \d) A view of the martyrs who would be saved: — a view designed to giro comfort in the trials that would come upon the people of God in thu world, ch. viL 13, 14. Xl ANALYSIS. (e) A view of the happiness of heaven — where all suffering will cease, and all tears be wiped away, eh. vii. 15-17. 7. The opening of the seventh seal, ch. viii. — xi. 1-18. Seven trumpets given to seven angels to sound, and the preparatory ar- rangements for sounding, ch. viii. 1-6. f^S^ Two series of events referring to the West and the East in the downfall of the Roman Empire. A. The "West — to the fall of the "Western empire — four triunpets. (a) The first trumpet sounded, ch. viii. 7. The invasion of the Roman Empire by Aloric, king of the Goths, A. D. 395-410. (b) The second trumpet sounded, ch. viii. 8, 9. The invasion of the Roman Empire by Genseric, king of the "Vandals, A. D. 428-468. (e) The third trumpet sounded, ch. viii. 10, 11. The invasion of the Roman Empire by Attila, king of the Huns, 'Scourge of God,' A. D. 433-453. {d) The fourth trumpet sounded, ch. viii. 12, 13. The final conquest of Rome and the "Western Empire by Odoacer, king of the Heruli, A. D. 476^90. B. The East — to the fall of the Eastern Empire — two trumpets, ch. ix. (e) The fifth trumpet sounded, ch. ix. 1-12. The Mohammedans, or Saracens. (/) The sixth trumpet sounded, ch. ix. 13-19. The Turkish power. The interval between the fall of the Eastern Empire, and the sounding of the seventh trumpet, ch. ix. 20 — xi. 13. (o) The result of these judgments, ch. 20, 21. They produce no change in the moral condition of the world : — fulfilled in the state of the Papal world after the conquest of Constantinople, and before the Reformation. (6) An angel is seen descending from heaven with emblems of majesty, joy, and peace, ch. x : — fulfilled in the Reformation. 1. The angel with the rainbow on his head, and his face like the sun, a proper symbol of the Reformation as a work of peace, and accom- panied with light and knowledge, ch. x. 1. 2. The little book in his hand, a symbol of the principal agent in the Reformation — a hook — the Bible, ch. x. 2. 3. His crying with a loud voice — symbolical of the Reformation aa arresting the attention of the nations, ch. x. 3. 4. The seven thunders — the anathemas of Papal Rome — the thunder of the seven-hilled city, ch. x. 3. ANALYSIS. xh 6. The purpose of John to record what the seven thunders had uttered, and the command not to write : — the mistake which the Reformers were in danger of making, by regarding the doctrine of the Papacy as the truth of God, ch. x. 4. $. The solemn oath of the angel that the time predicted would not then occur, but would occur in the time when the seventh angel should sound (ch. x. 5-7) : — fulfilled in the anticipations of the Reformers that the world was about to come to an end, and the reign of Christ about to commence, and the assurance of the angel that this would not then occur, but that a long and important interval must take place. 7. The command given to John to go and take the little book from the hand of the angel (ch. x. 8) : — fulfilled in the delivery of the Bible again to the church. 8. The command to eat it, and the consequences — sweet in the mouth, and bitter to the belly (ch. x. 9, 10) :— the effect of the pure word of God on the soul indicated by the one; the bitter consequences, in persecution and opposition, that would result from the attempt to make the truth known to the world — indicated by the other. 9. The assurance that he would yet prophesy before many people, and nations, and tongues, and kings (ch. x. 10) : — fulfilled in the restora- tion of preaching in the church, founded on the Bible, and in the im- > mediate and ultimate influence of the Bible in making the gospel known to the world. (c) The measuring of the holy city, ch. xi. 1, 2 : — the determining of what constituted the true church at the time of the Reformation. {d) The two witnesses, ch. xi. 3-13. Those who bore faithful testimony to the truth in all the corruptions of the church; their trials and their triumph : — fulfilled in the succession of true and sincere Christians whom God raised up from time to time to testify to the truth. They would bo persecuted, and many of them would be put to death ; they would seem to be finally sUenced, and would be treated with great indignity, as if their dead bodies should remain unburied; they would, however, come to life again ; — that is, at the time of theReformation they would I'ise and testify against the corruptions of the Papacy, and would triumph as if they ascended visibly and gloriously to heaven. The sounding of the seventh trumpet. The final triumph of the church, and the establishment of the kingdom of God in the overthrow of all its enemies, ch. xi. 14-18. This ends the first series of visions ; and this ex- presses in general terms what is drawn out more in detail in the next series of visions (Part V.), embracing more particularly the rise and pro- gress of Antichrist. 4* riii ANALYSIS. PART FIFTH. J»HE CHURCH INTERNALLY ; THE RISE OF ANTICHRIST, AND THE EFFECT Of THAT FORMIDABLE POWER ON THE INTERNAL HISTORY OF THE CHURCH, TO THE TIME OF THE OVERTHROW OF THAT GREAT POWER, AND THE TRI- UMPHANT ESTABLISHMENT OF THE KINGDOM OF GOD, CH. XI. 19, XII-XX, A. General Introduction to this series of visions, ch. xi. 19, xii. (1.) A new vision of the temple of God opened in heaven, ch. xi. 19. (2.) A representation of the church, under the image of a beautiful woman, ch. xii. 1. (3.) The particular thing designed to be represented — the church about to increase and to fill the world, ch. xii. 3. (4.) The deadly hostility of Satan to the church, and his purpose to destroy it, represented by a great red dragon waiting to destroy the man-child, ch, xii. ; 3, 4. (5.) The ultimate safety of the church, represented by the child caught up to heaven, ch. xii. 5. (6.) The fact that the church would be a long time obscure and hidden — represented by the woman fleeing into the wilderness, ch. xii. 6. (7.) A scenic representation of the great contest going on in the universe about the church, — represented by a conflict in heaven between Michael, the Protector of the church, with his angels, and Satan, the great enemy of the church, with his angels, ch. xii. 7. (8) The ultimate discomfiture of Satan, represented by his being overcomfl and cast out of heaven, ch. xii. 8, 9. (9.) A song of victory in view of this triumph, ch. xii. 10, 11. (10.) The fact that Satan would be allowed, for a limited time, to persecute (ke church, ch. xii. 12, 13. t'-U.) The church in the wilderness, ch. xii. 14-17. (t:) The church would be driven into obscurity — like a woman fleeing into a desert — representing the condition of the church while the Papacy should have the ascendency, ver. 14. (b) The church would still be preserved, though in obscurity — represented hr the woman nourished by some unseen power, ver. 14. (c) Satan would still rage against the church — represented by the dragon poxiriiix; forth a flood of waters to overwhelm the woman, ver. 15. (d) The church would be protected, as if the earth should open its mouth to swallow up the water — representing the interpositions from an unex- pected oiiArter in delivering the church from its perils, ver. 16. (e) The wr«,th of Satan against the remnant — representing the attempts of the Papacy to cut off individuals when open and general persecution no longer raged, ver. 17. ANALYSIS. Xliii B. The two beasts, representing the great persecuting power in the church, eh, ziii. (1.) The first beast, representing the Koman civil, or secular power that sag- tained the Papacy in its career of persecution, ch. xiii. 1-10. (2.) The second beast, representing the Papal ecclesiastical power — giving life to the former, and perpetuating its influence on the earth, ch. xiii. 11-18. C. A representation designed, under a succession of symbols, to cheer and sustain the church in its present and prospective trials, with the assurance of its final triumph, and the ultimate destruction of all its foes, ch. xiv. (1.) A vision of the redeemed in heaven, triumphant and rejoicing, vs. 1-5. (2.) The ultimate spread of the gospel through all the world, vs. 6, 7. (3.) The fall of Babylon, the great anti- christian power, ver. 8. (4.) The final overthrow of all the upholders of that anti-christian power, vs. 9-12. (5.) The blessed state of those who should die in the Lord in any time, whether of persecution or peace, ver. 13. (6.) The consummation of all things — the final triumph of the church, and the overthrow of the wicked, vs. 14-20. (a) The great harvest of the world by the Son of God — the gathering in of the righteous, vs. 14-16. (6) The final overthrow and destruction of the wicked, vs. 17-20. D. Preparation for the final judgment on the beast and his image, ch. xv. (c) A new wonder is seen in heaven ; seven angels appear, having the seven last plagues, to fill up or complete the wrath of God, ver. 1. (5) Those who in former times had suffered from persecution by the power represented by the beast, but who, in the midst of trial and temptation, had maintained their faith steadfast, now appear to celebrate with a song of victory the prospective downfall of the great foe, vs. 2-4. (c) Arrangements made for executing the wrath of God. The temple is open in heaven ; seven angels come out having the seven last plagues ; one of the four living creatures gives command to them to go and execute the divine purpose, presenting seven golden bowls full of the wrath of God ; the temple is forthwith filled with smoke, preventing all access to the Mercy- seat, and indicating that the divine purpose was inexorable, vs. 5-8. E. The execution of the purpose, ch. xvi. (1.) The first vial, vs. 1, 2. The first blow struck on the Papacy in the French Revolution. (2.) The second vial, ver. 3. The scenes of blood and carnage in that Revo- lution. (3.) The third vial, vs. 4-7. The calamities brought by the French invasiona upon the countries where the most bloody persecutions had been 'iraged— the North of Italy. (4.) The fourth vial, vs. 8, 9. The overturning of the governments that bub Xliv ANALYSIS. tained the Papal power, in the wars consequent on the French Revolu- tion. (5.) The fifth vial, vs. 10, 11. The direct assault on the Papal power; the capture of the Pope himself, and the temporary entire subjugation of Rome by the French arms. (6.) The sixth vial, vs. 12-16. The decline of the Turkish power; the rapid extension of the gospel in the East ; the rallying of the strength of Paganism, Mohammedanism, and Romanism — represented by the three frogs that came out of the mouth of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet ; the preparation of those powers as if for some great conflict, and the decisive struggle between the church and its foes, as if the issue were staked on a single battle — in Armageddon. (7.) The seventh vial, vs. 17-21. The complete and final overthrow of the Papal power, as if in a tremendous storm of hail, lightning, and thunder, accompanied with an earthquake. F. A particular description of the judgment on this formidable anti-christian power, under a new image of an harlot (ch. xvii.), in the form of an explana- tory Episode. (1.) Introduction to the Episode — the vision of the woman sitting on many waters, vs. 1-3. (2.) A particular description of the anti-christian power referred to, under the image of an abandoned and gaily-attired woman, vs. 3-6. (3.) A particular explanation of what is designed to be represented by tho image of the scarlet-colored woman, vs. 7-18. (a) The angel promises to explain it, ver. 7. (b) A symbolical representation of the design of the vision, vs. 8-14. (c) A more literal statement of what is meant, vs. 15-18. The whole de- signed to characterize Papal Rome, and to describe the manner of its rise and the means of its ultimate destruction. Q. A description of the efect of that judgment in pouring out the seventh vial on that formidable anti-christian power, under the image of a rich and luxu- rious city : — a further explanatory Episode, ch. xviii. (1.) A vision of an angel coming from heaven, vs. 1-3. (2.) A warning voice calling on the people of God to come out of the mystical Babylon, and not to partake of her sin and her doom, vs. 4-8. (3.) Lamentation over her fate : — (a) By kings, that had lived delicately with her, vs. 9, 10. (h) By merchants that had been enriched by her, vs. 11-17. (c) By mariners that had trafficked with her, vs. 17-19. (4.) Rejoicing over her fate, ver. 20. (5.) The final destruction of the mystical Babylon — the Papal power — repre- sented by a millstone cast by an angel into the sea, vs. 21-24 H. A further episodical representation of the effects that would result from th« ANALYSIS. xlv fall of the powers that opposed the reign of the Son of God and the intro- duction of the Millennium, with an account of the final destruction of these powers, eh. xix. (1.) A hymn of the heavenly hosts in view of the destruction of the mystical Babylon, vs. 1-7. (a) A voice of many people in heaven, shouting Hallelujah, vs. 1, 2. (6) The sound echoed and repeated as the smoke of her torment ascend«, ver. 3. (c) The four and twenty elders, and the four living creatures unite in the song, ver. 4. (d) A voice heard commanding them to praise God, ver. 5. (e) The mighty shout of Hallelujah echoed and repeated from unnumbered hosts, vs. 6, 7. (2.) The marriage of the Lamb as the reason of this increased joy, vs. 8, 9. ^3.) John, overcome with this scene, and filled with rapturous joy in view of the final triumphs of the church, prostrates himself before the angel to wor- ship him, ver. 10. ^4.) The final conquest over the beast and the fklse prophet, vs. 11-21. (a) A description of the conqueror — the Son of God — as he goes forth to victory, attended by the armies of heaven, vs. 11-16. (6) An angel is seen standing in the sun, calling on all the fowls of heaven to come to the great feast prepared for them in the destruction of the enemies of God, vs. 17, 18. (c) The final war, vs. 19-21. The beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gather together for the battle; the beast and the false prophet taken, and cast into the lake that burns with fire and brimstone ; the re- mainder of the enemies of the church slain. The last enemy of the church on earth is destroyed, and the way is prepared for its universal triumph. t The Millennial period and the final judgment, ch. xx. (1.) The binding of Satan, vs. 1-3. (2.) The Millennium, vs. 4-6. Thrones are placed as if there were to be a judgment; the spirit of the martyrs and saints is revived again as if they were raised from the dead, and lived again on the earth ; Satan is confined, and the church enjoys a state of repose and prosperity, for the period of a thousand years. (3.) The release of Satan for a little time, vs. 7, 8. After the thousand years are expired, he is permitted to go forth again among the nations, and to • awaken a new form of hostility to Christ and the church. (4.) The final overthrow, subjugation, and punishment of Satan and those op- posing hosts, and the final triumph, therefore, of the church, vs. 7, 8. (5.) The final judgment on all mankind, vs. 11-15. All the dead are raised; the sea gives up its dead ; death and Hades give up their dead, and a solemn and just judgment is pronounced on all mankind, and the wicked are consigned to the lake of fire. Xlvi ANALYSIS. PART SIXTH. THE FINAL CONDITION OF THE RIGHTEOUS — THE STATE OF FUTURE BLESw EDNESS, CHS. XXI. XXII. 1-5. (1.) A vision of the new heavens and new earth, as the final abode of the righteous, ch. xxi. 1. (2.) That blessed future abode represented under the image of a beautiful city descending from heaven, ch. xxi. 2—4. (3.) A particular description of the city, as the final abode of the righteous- its general appearance, its walls, its gates, its foundations, its size, its lightj its inmates, &c., ch. xxi. 9-27. ; xxii. 1-5. PART SEVENTH. THE EPILOGUE, OR CONCLUSION, CH. XXII. 6-20. (a) A solemn declaration that the things revealed in this book are true, vs. 6, 7. (6) The effect of those revelations on' John, vs. 8, 9. (c) A command not to seal up what had been revealed, ver. 10. (d) The unchangeable condition of the righteous and the wicked in the future etate, vs. 14, 15. (c) The blessedness of those who have a right to enter into the Holy City, \er. 15. (/) Jesus declares himself to be author of all these revelations, ver. 16. (g) The free invitations of the gospel to all men, ver. 17. (h) A solemn injunction not to change any thing that had been written in this book, vs. 18, 19. (»■) The assurance of the Saviour that ho would come quickly, and the joyoua fcssent of John to this, and prayer that it might occur, ve.'; 20. (_;■) The benediction, ver. 21. THE BOOK OF REVELATION CHAPTER I. THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, •which God gave unto him, to (show unto his servants things w^hich CHAPTER I. ANALYSIS OP THE CHAPTER. This chapter contains a general Intro- duction to the whole book, and com- prises the following parts : — I. The announcement that the object of the book is to record a revelation which the Lord Jesus Christ had made of important events which were shortly to occur, and which were signified by an angel to the author — John, vs. 1-3. A blessing is pronounced on him who should read and understand the book, and spe- cial attention is directed to it because the time was at hand when the pre- dicted event would occur. II. Salutation to the seven churches of Asia, vs. 4-8. To those churches, it would seem from this, the book was ori- ginally dedicated or addressed, and two of the chapters (II. and III.) refer ex- clusively to them. Among them evi- dently the author had resided (ver. 9), and the whole book was doubtless sent to them, and committed to their keeping. In this salutation, the author wishes for them grace, mercy, and peace from "him which is, and which was, and which is to come" — the original fountain of all light and truth — referring to the Father; "from the seven spirits which are before the throne" — referring to the Holy Spirit (see Note on ver. 4), by whom all grace is communicated to men ; and from the Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the revela- tion is imparted. As it is his revelation; as it is designed peculiarly to glorify him; and as it predicts the final triumph of his religion, the author appends to this reference to him a special ascription of praise, vs. 5-8. He refers to the great work which he had done for his people in redeeming them, and making them kings and priests to God; he assures those to whom he wrote that he would come in glory to the world again, and that all eyes would see him ; and he re- presents the Redeemer himself as ap- plying to his own person a title — "Alpha aiid Omega" — " the beginning and the must shortly come to pass ; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: ending" — which indicates his exalted nature, and his supreme authority. III. The commission of the writer; or his authority for thus addressing the churches of Asia, vs. 9-20. His autho- rity to do this is derived froni the fact that the Lord Jesus had appeared to him personally in his exile, and had directed him to reveal what he saw in vision, and to send it to those churches. — The state- ment of this commission is made as im- pressive as it weU could be. (a) The writer was an exile— -banished to a lonely island on account of the common faith, ver. 9. (&) On the day of Christian rest — the day set apart to the memory of the Saviour, and which he sacredly ob- served in his solitude as holy time — when in the spirit of calm contempla- tion on the truths appropriate to this day, he suddenly heard the voice of his Redeemer, like a trumpet, commanding him to record what he saw, and to send it to the seven churches of Asia, vs. 10, 11. (c) Then follows (vs. 12-18) a mag- nificent description of the appearance of the Saviour, as he appeared in his glory. He is seen standing in the midst of seven golden candlesticks ; clothed in a long white robe ; girded with a girdle of gold; his hair white, his eyes like a flame of fire, his feet like brass, and his voice like the roaring of mighty waters. In his hand are seven stars, and from his mouth goes a sharp sword, and his countenance is like the sun in the full splendor of its shining. John falls at his feet as if he were dead; and the Saviour lays his right hand upon him, and animates him with the assurance that though he had himself been dead he is now alive, and would forever live, and that he has the keys of hell and death, (d) Then fol- lows the commission itself, vs. 19, 20. He was to make a record of the things which he saw. He was especially to unfold the meaning of the seven stars which he saw in tie right hand of the Saviour, and of tie seven golden can- dlesticks, as referring to the seven (47) 48 REVELATION, [A. D. 96. churches of Asia Minor ; and was then to describe the series of visions which pertained to the future history and des- tiny of the church at large. In the scene represented in this chap- ter, there is some imagery which would be suggested by the arrangements in the temple at Jerusalem, and it has been supposed (Elliott, i. 72, 73) that the vi- sion was laid there, and that Christ is represented as walking among the seven lamps "habited as the ancient High Priest." But the vision is not such an one as would have been presented in the holy place in the temple. In that place there was but one lamp-stand, with seven sconces ; here, there were seven separate lamp-stands : — there were there no *' stars," and the vestments of the Jewish High Priest were not those in which the Saviour is represented as appearing. He had no mitre, no ephod, no breast-plate, and no censer. The object was not to represent Christ as a priest, or as super- seding the Jewish high priest; but to represent him with costume appropriate to the Son of God — as having been raised from the dead, and received to the glory of heaven. His vestments are neither those of a prophet, a king, nor a priest : not with such garments as the ancient prophets wore ; nor with crown and sceptre such as monarchs bear; nor yet with the usual habiliments of a priest. He appears as the Son of God, irrespective of the ofl&ces that he bears, and comes as the glorified Head of the Church to declare his will in regard to the seven churches of Asia, and to dis- close the future for the guidance and comfort of his church at large. The scene appears to be laid at Patmos, and the apostle in the vision of the Saviour does not appear to have regarded himself as transferred to any other place. The view which is to bo kept before the mind in the description of " the things that are" (chs. ii. iii.), is that of seven burn- ing lamps, and the Son of God standing among them. Thus, amidst these lamps representing the churches, ho dictates to the apostle what he shall write to the churches; thus with seven stars in his hand, representing the angels of the churches, he dictates what shall be said to them. Is it unnatural to suppose that the position of those lamps might have been arranged in the vision in a manner resembling the geographical position of the churches themselves ? I£ so, the scene would be more significant, and more sublime. 1. The Hevelatioti of Jesus Christ. This is evidently a title or caption of the whole book, and is designed to comprise the substance of the whole ; for all that the book contains would be embraced in the general declaration that it is a Reve- lation of Jesus Christ. The word ren- dered Revelation — 'A.-rtoKa\v^is — whence we have derived our word Apocalypse — means properly an uncovering; that is, nakedness — from 'anoKaXv-Tia — to un- cover. It would apply to any thing which had been covered up so as to ba hidden from the view — as by a veil ; by darkness ; in an ark or chest, and then made manifest by removing the cover- ing. It comes then to be used in the sense of disclosing or revealing, by re- moving the veil of darkness or ignorance. " There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed." It may be applied to the disclosing or manifesting of any thing which was before obscure or unknown. This may be done (a) by instruction in regard to that which was before obscure ; that is, by statements of what was un- known before the statements were made, as in Luke ii. 32, where it is said that Christ would be " a light to lighten the Gentiles"— —0(3 J £ij anoKdXoifiv i^i'uiv, — or when it is applied to the divine mys- teries, purposes, or doctrines, before obscure or unknown, but made clear by light revealed in the Gospel, Rom. xvi. 25 ; 1 Cor. ii. 10, xiv. 6 ; Eph. iii. 5 (6). By the event itself; as the manifestation of the wrath of God at the day of judg- ment will disclose tne true nature of his wrath. "After thy hardness and im- penitent heart treasurest up to thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteousjudgment of God," Rom. ii. 5. " For the earnest ex- pectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation (Gr., revelation) of the sons of G'od," (Rom. viii. 19), that is, till it shall be manifest by the event what they who are the children of God are to be. In this sense the word is frequently ap- plied to the second advent or appearing of the Lord Jesus Christ, as disclosing him in his glory, or showing what he truly is: — 2 Thess. i. 7, " When tlio Lord shall be revealed" — fv rfj aTTOKd\o\pet — in the revelation of Jesus'Christ. 1 Cor, i. 7, " Waiting for the coming" (the re- A. D. 96.] CHAPTER I. 49 velation — r^v a770jra'Aw4/tv) of our Lord ] Jesus Christ." 1 Peter, i. 7, "At the ap- pearing" (Grr., revelation) " of Jesus Christ." See also 1. Pet. iv. 13, " When his glory shall be revealed." (f ). It is used in the sense of making known what is to come — whether by words, signs, or symbols — as if a veil were lifted from that which is hidden from human vision, or which is covered by the darkness of the unknown future. This is called a revelation, because the knowledge of the event is in fact made known to the world by him who alone can see it, and in such a manner as he pleases to em- ploy, though many of the terms or the symbols may be, from the necessity of the case, obscure ; and though their full meaning may be disclosed only by the event. It is in this sense, evidently, that the word is used here ; and in this sense that it is more commonly employed when we speak of a revelation. Thus the word hSj (gala) is used in Amos iii. 7 : " Surely the Lord God will do nothing but he revealeth his secret unto his servants." So Job xxsiii. 16, " Thus he openeth (marg., revealeth, or un- covereth, Heb. 717^^) the ears of men;" that is, in a dream, he discloses to their ears his truth before concealed or un- known. Comp. Dan. ii. 22, 28, 29, x. 1. Deut. xsix. 29. These ideas enter into the word as used in the passage before us. The idea is that of a disclosure of an ex- traordinary character, beyond the mere ability of man, by a special communi- cation from heaven. This is manifest, not only from the usual meaning of this word, but by the word prophecy, in ver. 3, and by all the arrangements by which these things were made known. The ideas which would be naturally con- veyed by the use of this word in this connection are two: (1) that there was something which was before hidden, obscure, or unknown, and (2) that this was so disclosed by these communi- cations as to be seen or known. The things hidden or unknown were those which pertained to the future ; the me- thod of disclosing them was mainly by (symbols. In the Greek, in this passage, the article is wanting — ^a-!zoKd\v\pii — a Revelation, not ij the Revelation. This is omitted because it is the title of a hook, and because the use of the article ofiight imply that this was the only re- 5 velation, excluding- other books claiming to be a revelation; or it might imply some previous mention of the book, or knowledge of it in the reader. The simple meaning is, that this was "a Revelation ;" it was only a part of the Revelation which God has given to mankind. The phrase " the Revelation of Jesua Christ," might, so far as the construc- tion of the language is concerned, refer either to Christ as the subject or object. It might either mean that Christ is the object revealed in this book, and that ita great purpose is to make him known — and so the phrase is understood in the commentary called Hyponoia (New York, 1844) ; or it may mean that this is a re- velation which Christ makes to man- kind— that is, it is his in the sense that he communicates it to the world. That this latter is the meaning here is clear, (1) because it is expressly said in this verse that it was a revelation which God gave to him ; (2) because it is said that it pertains to things which must shortly come to pass; and (3) because^ in fact, the revelation is a disclosure of events which were to happen, and not of the person or work of the Lord Jesus Christ. ^Which God gave unto him. Which God imparted or communicated to Jesus Christ. This is in accordance with the representations every where made in the scriptures, that God is the original foun- tain of truth and knowledge, and that, whatever was the original dignity of the Son of God, there was a mediatorial dependence on the Father. See John, v. 19, 20 : "Verily, verily, I say unto you. The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do ; for what- soever he doeth, then also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and showeth him (SeiKwcnv cirp) all things that himself doeth." John vii. 16: "My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me." John viii. 28 : ''As ray Father hath taught me {i6i6a^i ne), I speak these things." Johnxii. 49: "For I have not spoken of myself; but the Father which sent me, he gave me a commandment, what I should say, and what I should speak." See also John xiv. 10, xvii. 7, 8. Matt. xi. 27. Mark xiii. 32. The same mediatorial depend- ence the apostle teaches us still subsists in heaven in his glorified state, and will continue until he has subdued all thinjBTa 50 KEVELATION [A. D. 96. (1 Coi. XT. 24-28), and hence, even in that state, he is represented as receiving the Revelation from the Father to commu- nicate it to men. •[ To show unto his ser- vants. That is. to his people j to Chris- tians, often repres'.'nted as the servants of God or of Christ. 1 Pet. ii. 16. Rev. ii. 20, vii. 3, xix. 2, xxii. 3. It is true that the word is sometimes applied by vray of eminence to the prophets (1 Chron. vi. 49, Dan. vi. 20), and to the apostles (Rom. i. 1, Gal. i. 10, Phil. i. 1, Titus i. 1, James i. 1); but it is also applied to the mass of Christians, and there is no reason why it should not be so understood here. The book was sent to the churches of Asia, and was clearly designed for general use; and the contents of the book were evidently intended for the churches of the Re- deemer, in all ages and lands. Comp. ver. 3. The word rendered to shew — Sel^ai — commonly denotes to point out; to cause to see; to present to the sight ; and is a word eminently appro- priate here, as what was to be revealed was, in general, to be presented to the sight by sensible tokens- or symbols. ^Things which must shortly come to pass. Not all the things that will occur, but such as it was deemed of importance for his people to be made acquainted with. Nor is it certainly implied that all the things that are communicated would shortly come to pass, or would soon oc- cur. Some of them might perhaps lie in the distant future, and still it might be true that there were those which were revealed in connexion with them, which would soon occur. The word rendered ''things" — a — is a pronoun, and might be rendered what : " he showed to his servants what things were about to occur;" not implying that he showed all the things that would hap- pen, but such as he judged to be needful that his people should know. The word would naturally embrace those things which, in the circumstances, were most desirable to be known. The phrase rendered "must come to pass,' — Sel yt- via^ai — would imply more than mere futurity. The word used — Su — means it needs, there is need of, and implies that there is some kind of necessity that the event should occur. That necessity may either arise from the felt «;an« of any thing, as where it is absent, or wanting, Xen. Cyr. 4, 10, ib. 7, 5, 9 ; or from the na- ture of the case, or fron.. a sense of duty— as Matt. xvi. 21, "Jesus began to show to his disciples that he must go {8u a7re\&e7v) to Jerusalem," comp. Matt, xxvi. 35; Mach. xiv. 31; Luke, ii. 49 j or the necessity may exist, because a thing is right and just, meaning that it ought to be done, as Luke xiii. 14, " There are six days in which men ought to work" — 5ei ipyd^cff^ai; Luke xiii. 16, "And ought not this woman {ovk ?<)«) whom Satan hath bound, &c., be loosed from the bond," (comp. Mark xiii. 14; John iv. 20 ; Acts v. 29, 11 ; Tim. ii. 6 ; Matt. viii. 33; xxv. 27); or the necessity may be that it is conformable to the divine arrangement, or is made neces- sary by divine appointment, as in John iii. 14: "As Moses lifted up the ser- pent in the wilderness, even so must (Sel) the son of man b« lifted up ;" John XX. 9, "for as yet tbey know not the Scriptures, that he must (Ssl) rise again from the dead." Comp. Acts iv. 12 ; xiv. 22, et al. In the passage before us, it ia implied, that there was some necessity that the things referred to should occur. They were not the result of chance ; they were not fortuitous. It is not, however, stated Avhat was the ground of the neces- sity— whether because there was a want of something to complete a great arrange- ment ; or because it was right and proper in existing circumstances ; or because such was the divine appointment. They were events which, on some account, must certainly occur, and which there- fore it was important should be made known. The real ground of the neces- sity, probably was founded in the design of God in redemption. lie intended to carry out his great plans in reference to his church, and the things revealed here must necessarily occur in the completion of that design. — The phrase rendered shortly — iv rdxu — is one whose meaning has been much controverted, and on which much has been made to depend in the interpretation of the whole book. The question has been whether the phrase necessarily implies that the events refer- red to were 50071 to occur, or whether it may hare such an extent of meaning as to admit the supposition that the events referred to, though beginning soon, would embrace in their developement far distant years, and would reach the end of all things. Those who maintain (aa Prof, Stuart) that the book was written A. D. 96. CHAPTER I, 51 before the destruction of Jerusalem, and that the portion in chs. iv.-xi. has special reference to Jerusalem and Judea, and the portion in chs. xii.-six. to perse- cuting and heathen Rome, maintain the former opinion ; those who suppose that chs. iv.-xi. refers to the irruption of Northern barbarians in the Roman em- pire, and chs. xii. seq. to the rise and the persecutions of the Papal power, embrace the latter opinion. All that is proper in this place is, without reference to any theory of interpretation, to enquire into the proper meaning of the language ; or to ascertain what idea it would naturally convey, (a) The phrase properly and literally means, with quickness, swift- ness, speed; that is, speedily quickly, shortly. Rob. Lex. ; Stuart in loc. It is the same in meaning as radius, comp. 1 Cor. iv. 19, ''But I will come to you shortly, if the Lord will." Luke xiv. 21, *' Go out quickly into the streets." Luke xvi. 6, " Sit down quickly, and write fifty." John xi. 31, " She rose up hastily {Tax((^s) and went out." Gal. i. .6, " That ye are so soon removed {raxius) from him that called you." 1 Tim. v. 22, '' Lay hands suddenly on no man." See also *Phil. ii. 19, 24 ; and Thess. ii. 2 ; and ii. Tim. iv. 9. The phrase used here — h rdx^i — occurs in Luke xviii. 8, " he will avenge them speedily" (lit. with speed); Acts xii. 7, ''Arise up quickly;" Acts xxii. 18, "get thee quickly out of Jeru- salem;" Acts XXV. 4, "would depart shortly;" Rom. xvi. 20, "bruise Satan under your feet shortly ;" and Rev. i. 1; xxii. 6. — The essential idea is, that the thiog which is spoken of vus soon to oc- cur, or it was not a remote and distant event. There is the nation of rapidity, of haste, of suddenness. It is such a phrase as is used when the thing is on the point of happening, and could not be applied to an event which was in the remote future, considered as an inde- pendent event standing by itself. — The same idea is expressed in regard to the same thing, in ver. 3, "the time is at hand" — h yap Katpd^- iyyvs] that is, it is near; it is soon to occur. Yet (6) it is not necessary to suppose that the mean- ing is that all that there is in the book was soon to happen. It may mean that the series of events which were to follow on in their proper order was goon to commence, though it might be that tho sequel wruld be remote. The first in the series of events was soon to begin, and the others would follow on in their train, though a portion of them, in the regular order, might be in a remote futurity. If we suppose that there was such an order; that a series of transactions was about to commence involving a long train of momentous developements, and that the beginning of this was to occur soon, the language used by John would be that which would be naturally employed to express it. Thus, in case of a revolution in a government, when a, reigning prince should be driven from his kingdom, to be succeeded by a new dynasty which would long occupy the throne, and in- volving as the consequence of the revo- lution important events extending far into the future, we would naturally say that these things were shortly to occur, or that the time was near. It is cus- tomary to speak of a succession of events or periods as near, however vast or in- terminable the series may be, when the commencement is at hand. Thus we say, that the great events of the eternal world are near; that is, the beginning of them is soon to occur. So Christians now speak often of the Millennium as near, or as about to occur, though it is the belief of many that it will be pro- tracted for many ages, (c) That this is the true idea here is clear, whatever general view of interpretation in regard to the book is adopted. Even Prof. Stuart, who contends that the greater portion of the book refers to the destruc- tion of Jerusalem, and the persecutions of heathen Rome, admits that "the closing part of the Revelation relates beyond all doubt to a distant period, and some of it to a future eternity" (II. p. 5); and if this be so, then there is no impro- priety in supposing that a part of the series of predictions preceding this may lie also in a somewhat remote futurity. The true idea seems to be that the writer contemplated a series of events that were to occur; and that this series was about to commence. How far into the future it was to extend, is to be learned by the proper interpretation of all the parts of the series. ^And lie sent. Gr. "Sending by his angel, signified it to his servant John." The idea is not precisely that he sent his angel to communicate the mes- sage, but that he sent byhim, or employed him as an agent in doing it The thin^ REVELATION [A. D. 96. 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of sent was rather the message than the angel. ^ Ajid signified it. lafifxaviv. He indicated it by signs and symbols. The ■word occurs in the New Testament only in John xii. 33 ; xviii. 32 ; xxi. 19 ; Acts xi. 28 ; XXV. 27, and in the passage before us, in all which places it is rendered sig- 'Aify, signifying, or sig?iified. It pro- perly refers to some sign, signal, or token by which any thing is made known (comp. Matt. xxvi. 28; Eom. iv. 11 ; Gen. ix. 12, 13; xviL 11; Luke ii. 12; 2 Cor. xii. 12 ; 1 Cor. xiv. 22), and is a word most happily chosen to denote the man- ner in which the events referred to were to be communicated to John — for nearly the whole book is made up of signs and symbols. If it be asked what was signi- fied to John, it may be replied that either the word " it" may be understood, as in our translation, to refer to the Apocalypse or Revelation, or what he saw — bea eUe — as Prof. Stuart supposes ; or it may be absolute, without any object following, as Prof. Robinson (Lex.) supposes. The general sense is, that sending by his angel, ho made to John a communication by expressive signs or symbols. ^ By his angel. That is, an angel was em- ployed to cause these scenic representa- tions to pass before the mind of the apostle. The communication was not made directly to him, but was through the medium of a heavenly messenger employed for this purpose. Thus in Rev. xxii. 6, it is said, "and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show unto his servants the things which must shortly be done." Comp. vs. 8, 9 of that chapter. There is frequent al- lusion in the Scriptures to the fact that angels have been employed as agents in making known the divine will, or in the revelations which have been made to men. Thus in Acts vii. 53, it is said, " who have received the law by the dis- position of angels." Ileb. ii. 2, " For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast," Ac. Gal. iii. 19, " And it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator," Comp. Notes on Acts vii. 38, 53. There is almost no further reference to the agency of the angel employed for this service, in the book, and there is no dis- tinct specification of what he did, or of ^is great agency in the case. John is Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. everywhere represented as seeing the symbols himself, and it would seem that the agen3y of the angel was, either to cause those symbols to pass before the apostle, or to convey their meaning to his mind. How far John himself under- stood the meaning of these symbols, we have not the means of knowing with cer- taint3^ The most probable supposition is, that the angel was employed to cause these visions or symbols to pass before his mind, rather than to interpret them. If an interpretation had been given, it is inconceivable that it should not have been recorded, and there is no more pro- bability that their meaning should have been disclosed to John himself for his private use, than that it should have been disclosed and recorded for the use of others. It would seem probable, there- fore, that John had only that view of the meaning of what he saw, which any one else might obtain from the record of the visions. Comp. Notes on 1 Peter i. 10-12, ^Untoliis servant John. Nothing could be learned from this expression as to what John was the author of the book, whether the apostle of that name or some other. Comp. Intr. § 1. It can- not be inferred from the use of the word servant rather than apostle, that the apostle John was not the author, for it was not uncommon for the apostles to designate themselves merely by the words servants, or servants of God. Comp. Notes on Rom. i, 1. 2, Who hare record of the word of God. Who bore witness to, or testified of — fiiapTvprjae — the word of God. He regarded himself merely as a witness of what he had seen, and claimed only to make a fair and faithful record of it. John xxi. 24 : " This is the disciple which testifieth — h fiaprvpiLv — of these things, and wrote these things." John xix. 35 : ** And he that saw it hare record" — ntnaprvpriKz. Compare also the following places, where the apostle uses the same word of himself, 1 John, i. 2 ; iv. 14. The expression here, "the word of God," is one the meaning of which has been much controverted, and is important in its bearing on the ques- tion who was the author of the book of Revelation. The main enquiry is, whe- ther the writer refers to the " testimony" A. D. 96.] CHAPTER I. 53 which he bears in this book respecting the "word of God;" or whether he refers to some testimony on that subject in Bome other booJ£ with which those to whom he wrote were so familiar that they would at once recognize him as the author ; or whether he refers to the fact that he had borne his testimony to the great truths of religion, and especially respecting Jesus Christ, as a i^reacher who was well known, and who would be characterized by this expression. The phrase " the word of God"-^f6i/ \6yov rSv ^£ov occurs frequently in the New Tes- tament (Comp. John x. 35; Acts iv. 31 ; vi. 2, 7 ; xi. 1 ; xii. 24), and may either mean the word or doctrine respecting God — that which teaches what God is ; or that which he speaks or teaches. It is more commonly used in the latter sense (Comp. the passages referred to above), and especially refers to what God speaks or commands in the gospel. The fair meaning of this expression would be, that John had borne faithful witness to, or testimony of, .the truth which God had spoken to man in the gospel of Christ. So far as the language here used is concerned, this might apply either to a written or an oral testimony ; either to a treatise like that of his gospel, to his preaching, or to the record which he was then making. Vitringa and others suppose that the reference here is to the Gospel which he had published, and which now bears his name ; Liicke and others, to the revelation made to him in Patmos, the record of which he now makes in this book ; Prof. Stuart and others, to the fact that he was a teacher or preacher of the gospel, and that (Comp. ver. 9) the allusion is to the testimony which he had borne to the gospel, and for which he was an exile in Patmos. Is it not possible that these conflicting opinions may be to some extent harmonized, by supposing that in the use of the aorist tense — inaprvpTjcs — the writer meant to refer to a characteristic of himself, to wit, that he was a faithful witness of the Tord of God and of Jesus Christ, ■^^"henefer and however made known to him? With an eye, perhaps, to the record which he was about to make in this book, and intending to include that, may he not also refer to what had been and WBrS his well-known character as a i3itne$8 of wha.** God communicated to 5* him ? He had always borne this testi- mony. He always regarded himself aa such a witness. He had been an eye- witness of what had occurred in the life, and at the death of the Saviour (See notes on 2 Pet. i. 17, IS), and had, in all his writings and public ministrations, borne witness to what he had seen and heard; for that (ver. 9), h« had been banished to Patmos; and he was now about to carry out the same characteristic of himself by bearing witness to what he saw in these new revelations. This would be much in the manner of John, who often refers to this characteristic of himself (Comp. John xix. 35; xxi. 24; 1 John i. 2), as well as harmonize the different opinions. The meaning then of the expression " who bare record of the word of God," as I understand it, is, that it was a characteristic of the writer to bear simple but faithful testimony to the truth which God communicated to men in the gospel. If this be the correct interpretation, it may be remarked (a) that this is such language as John the apostle would be liJcely to use, and yet (b) that it is not such language as an author would be likely to adopt if there was an attempt to forge a book in his name. The artifice would be too refined to occur probably to any one, for al- though perfectly natural for John, it would not be so natural for a forger of a book to select this circumstance and weave it thus unostentatiously into his narrative. ^ And of the testimony of Jesus Christ. That is, in accordance with the interpretation above, of the testimony which Jesus Christ bore to the truth; not of a testimony respecting Jesus Christ. The idea is, that Jesus Christ was himself a witness to the truth, and that the writer of this book was a witness merely of the testimony which Christ had borne. Whether the testimony of Jesus Christ was borne in his preaching when in the fiesh ; or whether made known to the writer by him at any subsequent period, it was his office to make a faithful record of that testimony. As he had always before done that, so he was about to do it now in the new revelation made tc him in Patmos, which he regarded as a new testimony of Jesus Christ to the truth, ver. 1. It is remarkable that, in confirmation of this view, John so often describes the Lord Jesus as a witnesg. 54 REVELATION, [A. D. 96. 3 Blessed ^ is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of d Lu. 11. 28. or represents him as having come to bear his faithful testimony to the truth. Thus in ver. 5 : " And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful and true witness." John viii. 18, " I am one that bear wit- ness— h iiap-rvpoiv — of myself." John xviii. 37 : " To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness — iva fxaprvpriffco — to the truth." Rev. iii. 14 : " These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness" — 6 fidprvg b iriardi k. t. A. Of ^his testimony which the Lord Jesus came to bring to man respecting eternal realities, the writer of this book says that he regarded himself as a witness. To the office of bearing such testimony, he had been dedicated; that testimony he was now to bear, as he had always done. •[ A7id of all things that he saio. oaa Tc iiSe. This is the common reading in the Greek, and according to this reading it would properly mean, " and whatso- ever he saw;" that is, it would imply that he bore witness to "the word of God," a7id to "the testimony of Jesus Christ," and to whatever he saw" — meaning that the things which he saw, and to which he refers, were things ad- ditional to those to which he had referred by "the word of God," and the "testi- mony of Christ." From this it has been supposed that in the former part of the verse he refers to some testimony which he had formerly borne, as in his gospel or in his preaching, and that here he refers to what he "saw" in the visions of the Revelation as something additional to the former. But, it should be remem- bered that the word rendered and — tc — is wanting in a large number of manu- scripts (see Wetstein), and that it is now omitted in the best editions of the Greek Testament — as by Griesbach, Tittmann and Hahn. The evidence is clear that it should be omitted, and if so omitted, the reference is to whatever he had at any time borne his testimony to, and not particularly to what passed before him in the visions of this book. It is a general aiSrmation that he had always borne a faithful testimony to whatever he had seen respecting the word of God, and the testimony of Christ. The correct rendering of the whole passage, then, would be, ' and sending by his angel, he signifies it to hw servant John, who bare record of [i. e. whose character and office it was to bear his testimony to] * the word of God,' [the message which God has sent to me], 'and tlie testi- mony of Jesus Christ' [the testimony which Christ bore to the truth], * what- soever he saw.' lie concealed nothing; he held nothing back ; he made it known precisely ^/jjsjt was seen by him. Thu« interpreted, the passage refers to what was a general characteristic of the writer, and is designed to embrace all that was made known to him, and to affirm that he was a faithful witness to it. There were doubtless, special reasons why John was employed as the medium through which this communication was to be made to the church and the world. Among these reasons may have been the following: (a) That he was the "beloved disciple." (h) That he was the only sur- viving apostle, (c) That his character was such that his statements would be readily received. Comp. John xix. 35 ; xxi. 24 ; 3 John 12. (d) It 77iay be that his mind was better fitted to be the me- dium of these communications than that of any other of the apostles — even if they had been then alive. There is almost no one whose mental characteristics are less correctly understood than those of the apostle John. Among the most gen- tle and amiable of men ; with a heart so fitted for love as to be known as "the beloved disciple" — he yet had mental characteristics which made it proper that he should be called "a son of Thunder" (Mark iii. 17); a mind fitted to preserve and record the profound thoughts in his gospel; a mind of high poetic order, fitted for the magnificent conceptions in this book. 3. Blessed is he that readeth. That is, it is to be regarded as a privilege at- tended with many blessings, to be per- mitted to mark the disclosures to be made in this book ; the important reve- lations respecting future times. Prof. Stuart supposes that this refers to a pub- lic reading, and that the phrase " those who hear the words of this prophecy" refers to those who listened to the public reader, and that both the reader and hearer should regard themselves as highly favored. It is, however, more in accord- A. D. 9G.J CHAPTER I. 55 this propheoy, and keep those things which are written therein : for the time * is at hand. 4 John to the seven ^ churches which are in Asia : Grace be unto e Ja. 5. 8, 9. g ver. 11. ance with the usual meaning of the word rendered "read," to suppose that it refers to the act of one's reading for himself; to learn by reading. So Robinson (Lex.) understands it. The Greek word, indeed, would bear the other interpretation (see Luke iv. 16; Acts xiii, 27; xv. 21; 2 Cor. iii. 15), but as this book was sent abroad to be read by Christians, and not merely to be in the hands of the minis- ters of religion to be read by them to others, it is more natural to interpret the word in the usual sense. ^ And hear the words of this prophecy. As they shall be declared or repeated by others ; or perhaps the word hear is used in a sense that is not uncommon, that of giving attention to ; taking heed to. The general sense is, that they were to be regarded as highly favored who became acquainted in any way with what is here communicated. The writer does not say that they were blessed who understood it, or that they who read or heard it would fully understand it; but it is clearly implied, that there would be so far an understanding of its meaning as to make it a felicitous condition to have been made acquainted with it. Au author could not be supposed to say that one should regard his condition as a favored one who merely heard words that he could not understand, or who had placed before him magnificent sym- bols that had to him no meaning. The word prophecy is used here in its more strict sense as denoting the disclosure of future events — a large portion of the book being of this nature. It is here synonymous with Revelation, in ver. 1. ^ A?id keep these things which are written therein. Keep in mind those things which relate to the future; and obey thoso things which are requii-ed as truth and duty. The blessing which results from having in possession the revealed truth of God is not merely in reading it, or in hearing it : it results from the fact that the truth is properly regarded, and exerts a suitable influence over our lives. Comp. Ps. xis. ] 1 . — " And in keeping you, and peace, from him ^ which is, and which was, and which is to come ; and from the seven * Spirits which are before his throne. k Zee. 4. 10. c. 3. 1. and 4. 5. of them, there is great reward." ^ For the tijne is at hand. See ver. 1. Th» word here used — lyyis — has the same signification substantially as the word "shortly" in ver. 1. It would apply to any event whose beginning was soon to occur, though the end might be remote, for the series of events might stretch far into the future. It cannot be doubted, however, that the writer meant to press upon them the importance of attending to these things, from the fact that either entirely or in part these things were soon to happen. — It may be inferred from this verse, that it is possible so to under- stand this book, as that it may convey useful instruction. This is the only book in the Bible of which a special blessing is pronounced on him who reads it; but assuredly a blessing would not be pro- nounced on the perusal of a book which is entirely unintelligible. While, there- fore, there may be many obscurities in this book, it is also to be assumed that it may be so far understood as to be useful to Christians, in supporting their faith, and giving them elevated views of the final triumph of religion, and of the glory of the world to come. Any thing is a blessing which enables us with well- founded hope and joy to look forward to the heavenly world. 4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia. The word Asia is used ir. quite difl'erent senses by diflferent writers. It is used (1.) as referring to the whole eastern continent now known by that name ; (2.) Hither Asia, or Asia Minor; (3.) That part of Asia which Attains III, king of Pergamos gave to the Romans, viz : Mysia, Phrygia, Lycaonia, Lydia, Caria, Pisidia, and the Southern coast; that is, all in the Western, South-western, and Southern parts of Asia Minor ; and (4.) in the New Testament, usually, the South-western part of Asia Minor, of which Ephosus was the capital. See Notes, Acts ii. 9. The word Asia is not found in the Hebrew Scriptures, but it occurs often in the books of Maccabees, and in the New Testament. In the New 56 xlEYELATION f A. D- 96. Testament it is not used in the large sense in which it is now as applied to the whole continent, but in its largest signi- fication it would include only Asia Minor. It is also used, especially by Luke, as denoting the country that was called Ionia, or that which embraced the pro- yizces of Caria and Lydia. Of this re- gion Ephesus was the principal city, and it was in this region that the " seven churches" were situated. Whether there were more than seven churches in this region is not intimated by the writer of this book, and on that point we have no certain knowledge. It is evident that these seven were the principal churches, even if there were mor?, and that there was some reason why they should be particularly addressed. There is men- tion of some other churches in the neigh- borhood of these. Colosse was near to Laodicea, and from Col. iv. 13, it would seem not improbable that there was a church also at Hierapolis. But there may have been nothing in their circum- stances that demanded particular in- struction or admonition, and they may have been on that account omitted. There is, also, some reason to suppose, that, though there had been other churches in that vicinity besides the seven mentioned by John, they had become extinct at the time when he wrote the Book of Revelation. It ap- pears from Tacitus (Annal. xiv. 27, comp. also Pliny N. H. v. 29), that in the time of Nero, A. D. 61, the city of Laodicea was destroyed by an earthquake, in which earthquake, according to Eusebius, the adjacent cities of Colosae and Hierapolis were involved. Laodicea was, indeed, immediately rebuilt, but there is no evi- dence of the re-establishment of the church there, before the time when John wrote this book. The earliest mention we have of a church there, after the one referred to in the New Testament by Paul (Col. ii. 1; iv. 13, 15, 16), is in the time of Trajan, when Papias was bishop there, sometime between A. D. 98, and 117. It would appear, then, to be not improbable that at the time when the Apocalypse was written, there were in fact but seven cliurchcs in the vicinity. Prof. Stuart (i. 219) supposes that "seven, and only so many, may have been named, because the seven-fold divisions and groups of various objects, constitute a tonspicuous feature in the ApocaJypse throughout." But this reason seems too artificial, and it can hardly be supposed that it would influence the mind of John, in the specification by name of the churches to which the book was sent. If no names had been mentioned, and if the statement had occurred in glowing poetic description, it is not inconceivable that the number seve7i might have been selected for some such purpose. ^ Grace be unto you and peace. The usual form of salutation in addressing a church. See Notes on Ptom. i. 7. •[[ From him which is, and which was, and which is to come. From him who is everlasting — embracing all duration, past, present, and to come. No expression could more strikingly de- note eternity than this. He now exists; he has existed in the past; he will ex- ist in the future. There is an evident allusion here to the name Jehovah, the name by which the true God is appro- priately designated in the Scriptures. That name — mri"' — from tTT? to be, to exist, seems to have been adopted be- cause it denotes exist eiice, or being, and as 'L^nr>-''-ii^ simply one who ex- ists ; and ha - xoference merely to the fact of existence. The word has no variation of form, and has no reference to time, and would embrace all time: — that is, it is as true at one time as another that he exists. Such a word would not be inappropriately paraphrased by the phrase "who is, and who was, and who is to come," or who is to be ; and there can be no doubt that John referred to him here as being himself the eternal and uncreated existence, and as the great and original fountain of all being. They who desire to find a full discussion in regard to the origin of the name Jehovah, may consult an article by Prof. Tholuck, in the Biblical Reposi- tory, vol. iv. pp. 89-108. It is remark- able that there are some passages in heathen inscriptions and writings which bear a very strong resemblance to the language here used by John respecting God. Thus Plutarch (De Is. et Osir. p. 351), speaking of a temple of Isis, at Sais, in Egypt, says, " It bore this in- scription— * I r>ra all that was, and is, and shall be, and my vail no mortal can remove'" — 'Eyw dm -rav to ycyovd^, Ka> Sv, Kai laofievov ' Kai rbv ffibv rrfrXov ovSct^ TTO) &rr)rdi ai'CKd'Xvipcv. So Orpheus (in Auctor. Lib. de Mundo), "Jupiter is thij A. D. 96.] CHAPTER I. 57 nead, Jupiter is the middle, and all things are made by Jupiter." So in Pausanias (Phocic. 12), " Jupiter was ; Jupiter is ; Jupiter shall be." The re- ference in tlie phrase before us is to God as such, or to God considered as the Father. ^ And from the seven spirits which are before his throne. After all that has been written on this very diffi- cult espression, it is still impossible to determine with certainty its meaning. The principal opinions which have been held in regard to it are the following : I. That it refers to God, as such. This opinion is held by Eichhorn, and is favored by Ewald. No arguments de- rived from any parallel passages are ui'ged for this opinion, nor can any such be found, where God is himself spoken of under the representation of a seven- fold Spirit. But the objections to this view are so obvious as to be insuper- able. (1) If it refers to God as such, then it would be mere tautology, for the writer had just referred to him in the phrase "from him who was," &c. (2) It is difficult to perceive in what sense " seven spirits" could be ascribed to God, or how he could be described as a being of " Seven Spirits." At least, if he could be spoken of as such, there would be no objection to applying the phrase to the Holy Spirit. (3) How could it be said of God himself that he was " before the throne ?" He is every- where represented as sitting on the throne, not as before it. It is easy to conceive of angels as standing before the throne; and of the Holy Spirit it is 7nore easy to conceive as being repre- sented thus as ready to go forth and convey a heavenly influence from that throne, but it is impossible to conceive in what sense this could be applied to God as such. II. The opinion held by Grotius and by John Henry Heinrichs that it refers to "the multiform Provi- dence of God," or to God considered as operating in seven or many different ways. In support of this, Grotius ap- peals to chs. V. 12, vii. 12. But this opinion is so far-fetched, and it is so destitute of support, as to have found, it is believed, no other advocates, and to need no further notice. It cannot be supposed that John meant to personify the attributes of the Deity, and then to unite them with God himself, and with the Lord Jesus Christ, and to represent them as real subsistences from which important blessings descend to men. It is clear that as by the phrase "who is, and who was, and who is to come," and by "Jesus Christ, the faithful and true witness," he refers to real sub- sistences, so he must here. Besides, if the attributes of God, or the modea of divine operation, are denoted, why is the number seven chosen ? And why are they represented as standing before the throne ? III. A thii-d opinion is, that the reference is to seven attending and ministering presence-angels ; angela represented as standing before the throne of God, or in his presence. This opinion was adopted among the ancients by Clemens, of Alexandria; Andreas, of Cesarea, and others; among the mo- derns by Beza, Drusius, Hammond, Wetstein, Rosenmiiller, Clarke, Prof. Stuart, and others. This opinion, how- ever, has been held in somewhat dif- ferent forms; some maintaining that the seven angels are referred to because it was a received opinion among the Hebrews that there were seven angels standing in the presence of God, as seven princes stood in the Persian court before the king; others, that the angels of the seven churches are particularly referred to, represented now as standing in the presence of God others, that seven angels, represented as the principal angels emploj^ed in the government of the world, are re- ferred to ; and others, that seven archangels are particularly designated. Compare Poole, Synop, in loc. The arguments which are relied on by those who suppose that sev. >i angels are here referred to, are briefly these : — (1) The nature of the expression here used. The expression, it is said, is such as would naturally denote beings who were before his throne — beings who were different from him who was on the throne — and beings more than one in number. That it could not refer to one on the throne, but must mean those dis- tinct and separate from one on the throne, is argued from the use of the phrases "before the throne," and "be- fore God," in Eev. iv. 5, vii. 9, 15, viii. 2, xi. 4, 16, xii. 10, xiv. 3, xx. 12; in all which places the representation denotet those who were in the presence of God, and standing before him. (2) It is- argued from other passages in the Book 58 REVELATION [A. D. 96. of Revelation which, it is said (Prof. Stuart), go directly to confirm this opinion. Thus in Rev. vili. 2 : " And I saw the seven angels which stood before God." So Rev. iv. 5 : the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, are said to be " the seven Spirits of God." In these passages, it is alleged that the article " the" designates the well-hnown angels ; or those which had been before specified, and that this is the first mention of any such angels after the designation in the passage before us. (3) It is said that this is in accordance with what was usual among the He- brews, who were accustomed to speak of seven presence-angels, or angels stand- ing in the presence of Jehovah. Thus in the Book of Tobit (xii. 15), Raphael is introduced as using this language, " I am R,aphael, one of the seven holy >ngels, which present the prayers of the paints, and which go in and out before the glory of the Holy One." The apocryphal Book of Enoch (ch. xx.) gives the names of the seven angels who watch; that is, of the watchers (comp. Notes on Daniel iv. 13, 17) who stand In the presence of God waiting for the divine commands, or who watch over the affairs of men. So in the Zendavesta of Zoroaster, seven amshaspends, or archangels, are mentioned. See Prof. Stuart, in loc. To these views, however, there are objections of great weight, if they are not in fact quite insuperable. They are such as the following : (1) That the same rank should be given to them as to God, as the source of blessings. Ac- cording to the view which represents this expression as referring to angels, \hey are placed on the same level, so far 1^ the matter before us is concerned, fri'^ "him who was, and is, and is to e.3iie," and with the Lord Jesus Christ — a doctrine which does not elsewhere occur in the Scriptures, and which we cannot suppose the writer designed to teach. (2) That blessings should be invoked from angels — as if they could imi)art " grace and peace." It is evi- dent that whoever is referred to here by the phrase "the seven spirits," he is placed on the same level with the others mentioned as the source of "grace and peace." But it cannot be Bupposed that an inspired writer would iBToke that graco and pea<5e from any but a divine being. (3) That as two persons of the Trinity are here men- tioned, it is to be presumed that the third would not be omitted; or to put this argument in a stronger form, it cannot be supposed that an insi^ired writer would mention two of the persons of the Trinity in this connexion, and then not only not mention the third, but refer to angels — to creatures — as bestowing that which would be appro- priately sought from the Holy Spirit. The incongruity would be not merely in omitting all reference to the Spirit — which might indeed occur, as it often does in the Scriptures — but in putting in the place which that Spirit would naturally occupy an allusion to angels as conferring blessings. (4) If this refer to angels, it is impossible to avoid the inference that angel-worship, or invoca- tion of angels, is proper. To all intents and purposes, this is an act of worship; for it is an act of solemn invocation. It is an acknowledgment of the "seven spirits" as the source of "grace and peace." It would be impossible to re- sist this impression on the popular mind ; it would not be possible to meet it if urged as an argument in favor of the propriety of angel-invocation, or angel- worship. And j'et, if there is anything clear in the Scriptures, it is that God alone is to be worshipped. For these reasons, it seems to me that this in- terpretation cannot be well founded. IV. There remains a fourth opinion, that it refers to the Holy Spirit, and in favor of that opinion it may be urged, (1) that it is most natural to suppose that the Holy Spirit would be invoked on such an occasion, in connexion with him " who was, and is, and is to come," and with " Jesus Christ." If two of the persons of the Trinity were addressed on such an occasion, it would be properly supposed that the Holy Spirit would not be omitted, as one of the persons from whom the blessing was to descend. Comp. 2 Cor. xiii. 14. " The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all." (2) It would be unnatural and improper, in such an in- vocation, to unite angels with God as imparting blessings, or as participating with God and with Christ, in commu- nicating blessings to man. An invoca- tion to God to send his angjls, or t« A. D. 90.] CHAPTER I, Impart grace and fax or through angelic help, would be in entire accoi'dance with the usage in Scripture, but it is not in accordance with such usage to invoke such blessings /row angels. (3) It can- not be denied that an invocation of grace from " him who is, and was, and is to come," is of the nature of worship. The address to him is as God, and the attitude of the mind in such an address is that of one who is engaged in an act of devotion. The effect of uniting any other being with him in such a case, would be to lead to the worshii) of one thus associated with him. In regard to the Lord Jesus, " the faithful and true witness," it is from such expressions as these that we are led to the belief that he is divine, and that it is proper to worship him as such. The same effect must be produced in reference to what is here called " the seven spirits before the throne." We cannot well resist the im- pression that some one with divine attributes is intended ; or, if it refer to angels, we cannot easily show that it is not proper to render divine worship to them. If they were thus invoked by an apostle, can it be improper to worship them now? (4) The word used here is not angels but spirits ; and though it is true that angels are spirits, and that the word spirit is applied to them (Heb. i. 7), yet it is also true that that is not a word which would be understood to refer to Ihem without designating that angels were meant. If angels had been intended here, that word would naturally have been used, as is the case elsewhere in this book. (5) In Rev. iv. 5, where there is a reference to "the seven lamps before the throne," it is said of them that they " are," that is, " they repre- sent, " the si3ven spirits of God." This passage may be understood as referring to the same thing as that before us, but it cannot be well understood of angels, for {a) if it did, it would have been natural to use that language for the reason above mentioned; (6) the angels are nowhere called "the spirits q/" Got?," nor would such language be proper. The phrase "Spirit of God" naturally implies divinity, and could not be applied to a creature. For these reasons, it seems to me that the interpretation which applies the phrase to the Holy Spirit is to be preferred; and though that inter- pretation is not free from difficulties, yet there are fewer difficulties in that than in either of the others proposed. Though it may not be possible wholly to re- move the difficulties involved in that interpretation, yet perhaps something may be done to diminish their force. (1) First, se to the reason why the number sevea should be applied to the Holy Spirit, (se-) There would be as much propriety certainly in applying it to the Holy Spirit as to God as such. And yet Grotius, Eichhorn, Ewald, and others saw no difficulty in such an ap- plication considered as representing a seven-fold mode of operation of Gcd, or a manifold divine agency. {b) The word seven often denotes a full or com- plete number, and may be used to denote that which is full, complete, or manifold ; and might thus be used in reference to an All-perfect Spirit, or to a spirit which was manifold in its operations, (c) The number seven is evidently a favorite number in the book of Revelation, and it might be used by the author in places, and in a sense, such as it would not be likely to be used by another writer. Thus there are seven epistles to the seven churches ; there are seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials of the wrath of God, seven last plagues ; there are seven lamps, and seven Spirits of God; the Lamb has seven horns and seven eyes. In ch. i. 16, seven stars are men- tioned; in ch. V. 12, seven attributes of God; ch. xii. 3, the dragon has seven heads; ch. xiii. 1, the beast has seven heads, {d) The number seven, there- fore, may have been given to the Holy Spirit with reference to the diversity or the fulness of his operations on the souls of men, and to his manifold agency on the affairs of the world, as further developed in this book. (2) As to his being represented as "before the throne," this may be intended to desig- nate the fact that the Divine Spirit was, as it were, prepared to go forth, or to bo sent forth, in accordance with a com- mon representation in the Scriptures, to accomplish important purposes on human affairs. The posture does net necessarily imply inferiority of nature, any more than the language does re- specting the Son of God, when he is represented as being sent into the world to execute an important commission from the Father. 60 REVELATION, [A. D. 96. 5 And from Jesus Christ, lolio is the faithful witness, " and the ^ lirst-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kinfrs of the earth. a Jno. 8. 14, b Col. 1. 18. Unto him that loved ' us, and washed '^ us from our sins in his own blood, Jno. 13. 1. d He. 9. 14. 5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness. See Notes on ver. 2. He is faithful in the sense that he is one on whose testimony there may be entire reliance, or who is entirely worthy to be believed. From him "grace and peace" are appropriately sought, as one who bears such a testimony, and as the first-begotten from the dead, and as reigning over the kings of the earth. Thus grace and peace are invoked from the infinite God in all his relations and operations: — as the Father, the Source of all existence ; as the Sacred Spirit, going forth in manifold operations upon the hearts of men ; and as the Son of God, the one appointed to bear faithful testimony to the truth respecting Grod and future events. ^ And the first- begotten of the dead. The same Greek expression — rpwriJro/coj — occurs in Col. i. 18. See it explained in the Notes on that passage. Comp. Notes 1 Cor. xv. 20. ^ A7id the Prince of the kings of the earth. Who has over all the kings of the earth the preeminence which kings have over their subjects. He is tho Ruler of rulers ; King of kings. In oh. xvii. 14, xix. 16, the same thought is expressed by saying that he is the "King of kings." No language could more sublimely denote his exalted cha- racter, or his supremacy. Kings and princes sway a sceptre over the millions of the earth, and the exaltation of the Saviour is here expressed by supposing ihat all thobe kings and princes consti- tute a community over which he is the head. The exaltation of the Redeemer is elsewhere expressed in different lan- guage, but the idea is one that every- where prevails in regard to him in the Scriptures. Comp. Matt, xxviii. 18, xi. 27 ,• John xvii. 2; Eph. i. 20-22; Phil. ii. 'J-ll; Col. i. 15-18. The word Prince — 0 ft'px*^*' — means properly ruler, leader, the jirsl in rank. We often apply the word prince to an heir to a throne who is not invested with absolute sovereignty. The word here, however, denotes that he actually exercises dominion over the rulers of the earth. As this is an autho- rity which is claimed by God (comp. Isa. X. 5, seq. ; xlv. 1, seq. ; Ps. xlvii. 2, xcix. 1, ciii. 19, Dan. iv. 34), and which can only appertain to God, it is clear that ia ascribing this to the Lord Jesus it ia implied that he is possessed of divine attributes. As much of the rcyelations of this book pertained to the assertion of power over the princes and rulers of this world, there was a propriety that, in the commencement, it should be asserted that he who was to exert that poAver was invested with the prerogative of a ruler of the nations, and that he had this right of control. ^ Unto him that loved us. This refers undoubtedly to the Lord Jesus, whose love for men was so strong that nothing more was necessary to characterize him than to speak of him as the one " who loved U8." It is manifest that the division in the verses should have been made here, for this commences a new subject, not having any special connexion with that which precedes. In ver. 4, and the first part of this verse, the writer had invoked grace from the Father, the Spirit, and the Saviour. In the latter clause of the verse there commences an ascription of praise to the Redeemer ; an ascription to him particularly, because the whole book is regarded as a revelation from him (ver. 1.); because he was the one who especially appeared to John in the visions of Patmos ; and because he was to be the great agent in carrying into execution the purposes revealed in this book. ^ And washed us from our sins in his own blood. He has removed the pollution of sin from our souls by his blood; that is, his blood has been applied to cleanse us from sin. Blood can be represented as having a cleansing power only ai it makes an expiation for sin, for considered literally its eflfect would be the reverse. The language is such as would be used only on the supposition that lie had made an atonement, and that it was by the atonement that we are cleansed; for in what sense could it be said of fi martyr that he ' had washed us from our sins in his blood ?' How A. D. 96.] CHAPTEK I. 61 6 And liath made us kings " and priests unto God and his father ; to him '' be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. 7 Behold, he cometh with clouds ; " a Ex. 19. G. 1 Pe. 2. 5 0 Da. 7. 13. Mat. 26. 64. b He. 13. 21. could this language be used of Paul or Polycarp ; of Ridley or Cranmer ? The doctrine that the blood of Christ cleanses us from sin, or purifies us, is one that is common in the Scriptures. Comp. IJohn 1. 7 ; Heb. ix. 14. The specific idea of washing, however, — representing that blood as washing sin away — is one which does not elsewhere occur. It is evidently used in the sense of cleansi7ig ox purify- ing, as we do this by washing, and as the blood of Christ accomplishes in respect to our souls, what washing with water does in respect to the body. 6. And hath made us Icings and priests unto God. In 1 Pet. ii. 9, the same idea is expressed by saying of Christians that they are " a royal priesthood." See Notes on that verse. The quotation in both places is from Ex. six. 6 : "And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests." This idea is expressed here by saying that Christ had made us in fact kings and priests ; that is. Christians are exalt- ed to the dignity, and are invested with the office, implied in these words. The word kings, as applied to them, refers to the exalted rank and diirnity which they will have; to the fact that they, in com- mon with their Saviour, will reign triumphant over all enemies ; and that, having gained a victory over sin and death and hell, they may be represented as reigning together. The word priests refers to the fact that they are engaged in the holy service of God, or that they ^er to him acceptable worship. See i\otes on 1 Pet. i. 5. ^ And his Father. Even his Father ; that is, the Saviour has redeemed them, and elevated them to this exalted rank, in order that they may thus be engaged in the service of his Father. *[ To him he glory. To the Redeemer ; for so the construction (ver. 5) demands. The word " glory" here means praise, or honor, implying a wish that all honor should be shown him. ^ And domi?iion. This word means literally, strength — Kpdros; — but it here means the strength, .power, or rauthority which is exercised 6 and every eye shall see him, and they ^ also which pierced him : and all kindreds of the earth shall wail * because of him. Even so, ^ Amen. d Zee. 12. 10. e Iilat. 24. 30. / c. 22. 2a over others, and the expression is equiv- alent to a wish that he may reign. 7. Behold, he cometh with clouds. That is, the Lord Jesus when he re- tui'ns will come accompanied with clouds. This is in accordance with the uniform representation respecting the return of the Saviour. See Notes on Matt. xxiv. 30. Comp. Matt. xxvi. 64; Mark xiii. 26, xiv. 62; Acts i. 9, 11. Clouds arc appropriate symbols of Majesty, and God is often represented as appearing in that manner. See Ex. xix. 18; Ps. xviii. 11, seq. ; Isa. xix. 1. So, among the heathen, it was common to repre- sent their divinities as appearing clothed with a cloud: Augur Apollo." The design of introducing this repre- sentation of the Saviour, and of the man- ner in which he would appear, seems to be to impress the mind with a sense ot the majesty and glory of that being from whom John received his revelations. His rank, his character, his glory were such as to demand respect; all should reverence him, and all should feel that his communications about the future were important to them, for they must soon appear before him. ^ And every eye shall see him. He will be made visible in his glory to all that dwell upon the earth ; to all the children of men. Every one, therefore, has an interest in what he says ; every one has this in certain pros- j)ect that he shall see the Son of God coming as a Judge. ^ And they also which pierced him. When he died; that is, they who pierced his hands, his feet, and his side. There is probably an allu- sion here to Zech. xii. 10 : " They shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn." The language here is so general that it may refer to arty act of looking upon the pierced Saviour, and might be applied to those who would see him on the cross and to their compunctious visitings then ; or to their 62 REVELATION [A. D. 9b. Bubsequent reflections, as tliey might look by faith on him whom they had crucified; or to the feeling of any sin- ners who should reflect that their sins had been the cause of the death of the Lord Jesus ; or it might be applied, as it Is here, more specifically to the feelings which his murderers will have when they shall see him coming in his glory. All sinners who have pierced his heart by their crimes will then behold him, and will mourn over their treatment of him; they, in a special manner, who imbrued their hands in his blood will then remember their crime, and be overwhelmed with alarm. The desig?i of what is here said seems to be, to show that the coming of the Saviour will be an event of great interest to all mankind. None can be indilFerent to it, for all will see him. His friends will hail his ad- rent (comp. ch. xxii. 20), but all who were engaged in putting him to death, !-.rd all who in any manner have pierced i. >^ heart by sin and ingratitude, unless f 7 shaJl have repented, will have oc- I oion of bitter lamentation when he shall ccme. There are none who have a more fearful doom to anticipate than the murderers of the Son of God, in- cluding those who actually pixt him to death, and those who would have en- gaged in such an act had they been present, and those who, by their con- duct, have done all they could to pierce and wound him by their ingratitude. ^ And all kindreds of the earth. Gr., 'All the tribes — \pv\ai — of the earth.' This language is the same which the Saviour uses in Matt. xxiv. 30. See Notes on that passage. The word tribes is that which is commonly applied to the twelve tribes of Israel, and thus used, it would describe the inhabitants of the holy land ; but it may be used to denote nations and people in general, as descended from a common ancestor, and the connexion requires that it should be understood in this sense here, since it is said that " every eye shall see him ;" that is, all that dwell on the face of the earth. ^ Shall wail because of him. On account of him 5 on account of their treatment of him. The word rendei-ed wail — Kdrrru) — means properly to beat, to cut; then to beat or cut one's self in the breast as an expression of sorrow ; and then to ament, to cry aloud in intense grief. The coming of the Saviour will be an occasion of this, (a) because it will bean event which will call the sins of men to remembrance ; and (6) because they will be overwhelmed with the appre- hension of the wrath to come. Nothing would fill the earth with greater con- sternation than the coming of the Son of God in the clouds of heaven ; nothing would produce so deep and univei'sal alarm. This fact, which no one can doubt, is proof that men feel that they 8.re guilty, since, if they were innocent, they would have nothing to dread by his appearing. It is also a proof that they believe in the doctrine of future punish- ment, since, if they do not, there is no reason why they should be alarmed at his coming. Surely men would not dread his appearing if they really believed that all will be saved. Who dreads the coming of a benefactor to bestow favors on him ? Who dreads the appearing of a jailor to deliver him from prison ; of a physician to raise him up from a bed of pain; of a deliverer to knock off the fetters of slavery ? And how can it be that men should be alarmed at the coming of the Saviour unless their consciences tell them that they have much to fear in the future ? The presence of the Redeemer in the clouds of heaven would destroy all the hopes of those who believe in the doctrine of uni- versal salvation — as the approach of death now often does. Men believe that there is much to be dreaded in the future world, or they would not fear the coming of him who shall wind up the affairs of the human race. ^ Eve7i so, Ame7i — vai, dju'iv. " A double expression of so be it, assuredly, certai7ily, one in Greek and the other in Hebrew." Prof. Stuart. Comp. Rom. viii. 16, "Abba, Father" — ^afi(3a, h irarijp. The idea which John seems to intend to convey is, that the coming of the Lord Jesus, and the consequences which he says will follow, are events which are alto- gether certain. This is not the ex- pression of a wish that it may be so, as our common translation would seem to imply, but a strong afiirmation that it will be so. In some passages, however, the word {vai) expresses assetit to what is said, implying approbation of it aa true, or as desirable. Matt. xi. 26, " Eve?t so, Father, for so it seems good in thy sigh ^" Luke x. 21. So in Rey, A. D. 96.] CHAPTER I. 63 8 1" am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which xvi. 7, "Even so (vai), Lord God Al- mighty." So in Rev. xxii. 20, "Even so (vai), Come Lord Jesus." The word Amen here seems to determine the mean- ing of the phrase, and to make it the affirmation of a certainty, rather than the expression of a wish. 8. / am Alpha and Omega. These are the first and the last letters of the Greek alphabet, and denote jiroperly the first and the last. So in Kev. xxii. 13, when the two expressions are united, " I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last." So in ch. i. 17, the speaker says of himself, " I am the first and the last." Among the Jewish Rabbins it was common to use the first and the last letters of the Hebrew alphabet to denote the whole of any thing, from beginning to end. Thus it is said, "Adam transgressed' the whole law from X to i^ " — from Aleph to Tav. "Abraham kept the whole law from ^ to r\." The language here is that which would properly denote eternity in the being to whom it is applied, and could be used in reference to no one but the true orod. It means that he is the beginning and the end of all things ; that he was at the commencement and will be at the close ; and it is thus equivalent to saying that he has always existed, and that he will always exist. Comp. Isa. xli. 4, " I the Lord, the first, and with the last ;" — xliv. 6, " I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God;" — xlviii. 12, "I am he; I am the first, I also am the last." There can be no doubt that the language here would be naturally understood as im- plying divinity, and it could be properly applied to no one but the true God. The obvious interpretation here would be to apply this to the Lord Jesus, for (a) it is he who is spoken of in the verses preceding; and (b) there can be no doubt that the same lan- guage is applied to him in ver. 11. As there is, however, a difi'erence of reading in this place in the Greek text, and as it cannot be absolutely certain that the writer meant to refer to the Lord Jesus specifically here, was, and which is to come, the Al- mighty. * 9 I John, who also am your bro* h Is. 9. 6. this cannot be adduced with propriety as a proof-text to demonstrate his divinity. Many MSS., instead of "Lord" — Kvpioi — read " God" — -Stdj, and this reading is adopted by Griesbach, Tittman, and Ilahn, and is now regarded as the correct reading. There is no real incongruity in supposing, also, that the writer here meant to refer to God as such, since the introduction of a reference to him would not be inappropriate to his manifest design. Besides, a portion of the lan- guage here used, " which is, and was, and is to come," is that which would more naturally suggest a reference to God as such than to the Lord Jesus Christ. See ver. 4. The object for which this passage referring to the "fa-stand the last; to him who was, and is, and is to come," is introduced here, evidently is, to show that as he was clothed with omnipotence, and would continue to exist through all ages to come as he had existed in all ages past, there could be no doubt about his ability to execute all which it is said he would execute. ^ Saith the Lord. Or, saith God, according to what is now regarded as the correct reading. ^ Which is, and which was, &c. See Notes on ver. 4. ^ The Almighty. An appella- tion often applied to God, meaning that he has all power, and used here to denote that he is able to accomplish what is disclosed in this book. 9. /, Joh7i, who am your brother. Your Christian brother ; who am a fellow- Christian with you. The reference here is doubtless to the members of the seven churches in Asia, to whom the epistles in the following chapters were addressed, and to whom the whole book seems to have been sent. In the previous verse, the writer had closed the salutation, and he here commences a description of the circumstances under which the vision appeared to him. He was in a lonely island, to which he had been banished on account of his attachment to religion ; he was in a state of high spiritual enjoy- ment on the day devoted to the sacred remembrance of the Redeemer ; he sud- denly heard a voice behind him, and turning saw the Son of Man himself in 04 REVELATION, [A. D. 96. ther, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that glorious form in the midst of seven golden laraps, and fell at his feet as (load. ^ And companion in tribulation. Your partner in affliction. That is, he and they were suffering substantially the same kind of trials on account of their religion. It is evident from this, that some form of persecution was then raging in which they were also sufferers, though in their case it did not lead to banishment. The leader, the apostle, the aged and influential preacher, was banished ; but there were many other forms of trial which they might be called to endure who remained at home. What they were we have not the means of knowing with certainty. %And in the kingdom a?id patience of Jesus Christ. The meaning of this passage is, that he, and those whom he addressed, were not only companions in affliction, but were fellow-partners in the kingdom of the Redeemer : that is, that they shared the honor and the privileges pertaining to that kingdom ; and also that they were fellow-partners in the patience of Jesus Christ : that is, in enduring with patience whatever might follow from their being his friends and followei-s. The general idea is, that alike in privileges and suf- ferings they were united. They shared alike in the results of their attachment to the Saviour. ^ Was hi the isle that is called Palmos. Patmos is one of the cluster of islands in the ^gean Sea, anciently called the Sporades. It lies between the island of Icaria and the promontory of Miletus. It is merely mentioned by the ancient geographers, Plin. Ilis. Nat. 4, 23 ; Strabo 10, 488. It is now called Patino, or Patmosa. It is some six or eight miles in length, and not more than a mile in breadth, being about lifteen miles in circumference. It has neither trees nor rivers ; nor has it any land for cultivation, except some little nooks among the ledges of rocks. On approaching the island, the coast is high, and consists of a succession of capes, which form so many ports, some of which are excellent. The only one ill use, however, is a deep bay, sheltered by high mountains on every side but one, whe^e it is protected by a project- is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. ing cape. The town attached to this port is situated upon a high rocky mountain, rising immediately from the sea, and this with the Scala below upon the shore, consisting of some ships and houses, forms the only inhabited site of the island. Though Patmos is deficient in trees, it abounds in flowery planta and shrubs. Walnuts and other fruit trees are raised in the orchards, and the wine of Patmos is the strongest and the best flavored in the Greek islands. Maize and barley are cultivated, but not in a quantity sufficient for the use of the inhabitants, and for a supply of their own vessels, and others which often put into their good harbor for provisions. The inhabitants now do not exceed four or five thousand, many of whom are emigrants from the neighboring conti- nent. About half-way up the mountain, there is shown a natural grotto in a rock, where John is said to have seen his visions, and to have written this book. Near this is a small church, connected with which is a school or college, where the Greek language is taught, and on the top of the hill, and in the centre of the island, is a monastery, which from its situation has a very majestic appear- ance. Kitto's Cyclopedia of Bib. Lit The cu* placed on the next page is supposed to give a good representa- tion of the appearance of the island. It is commonly supposed that John wag banished to this island by Domitian, about A. D. 94. No place could have been selected for banishment which would accord better with such a design than this. Lonely, desolate, barren, unin- habited, seldom visited, it had all the requisites which could be desired for a place of punishment, and banishment to that place would accomplish all that a persecutor could wish in silencing an apostle, without putting him to death. It was no uncommon thing in ancient times to banish men from their country; either sending them forth at large, or specifying some particular place to which they wore to go. The whole narrative leads us to suppose that this place was designated as that to which John was to be sent. Banishment to pin islaad nav a. D. 96.1 CHAPTER 1 m I M 1 ■^1!:,!' if iliii 66 REVELATION, [A. D , 96. 10 I was in the Spirit * on the ^ a 2 Co. 12. 2. b Jno. 20. 2d. Ac. 20. 7. I Co. 16. 2. a common mode of punishment; and there was a distinction made by this act in faror of those who were thus banished. The more base, low and vile of criminals were commonly condemned to work in the mines ; the more decent and respect- able were banished to some lonely island. See the authorities quoted in Wetstein, in loc. % For the word of God. On account of the word of God ; that is, for holding and preaching the gospel. See Notes on ver. 2. It cannot mean that he was sent there with a view to his preaching the word of God; for it is inconceivable that he should have been sent from Ephesus to preach in euch a little, lonely, desolate place, where indeed there is no evidence that ihcre were any inhabitants ; nor can it mean that he was sent there by the Spirit of God to receive and record this revelation, for it is clear that the reve- lation could have been made elsewhere, and such a place afforded no peculiar Advantages for this. The fair interpre- tation is, in accordance with all the testi- mony of antiquity, that he was sent there in a time of persecution as a punishment for preaching the gospel. ^ And for the testimony of Jesus Christ. Notes, ver. 2. He did not go there to bear testimony to Jesus Christ on that island, either by preaching or recording the visions in this book, but he went because he had preached the doctrines which testified of Christ. 10. I was in the Spirit. This cannot refer to his own spirit — for such an ex- pression would be unintelligible. The language then must refer to some un- usual state, or to some influence that had been brought to bear upon him from without, that was appropriate to such a day. The word Spirit may refer either to the Holy Spirit, or to some state of mind such as the Holy Spirit produces — a spirit of elevated devotion ; a state of high and uncommon religious enjoyment. It is clear that John does not mean here to say that he was under the influence of ths Holy Spirit in such a sense as that he was inspired, for the command to make a record, as well as the visions, came subsequently to the time referred to The fair meaning of Lord's day, and heard behind ma a great voice, as of a trumpet. the passage is, that he was at at that time favored in a large measure with the influences of the Holy Spl^t — the spirit of true devotion ; that he had a high state of religious enjoyment, and was in a condition not inappropriate to the remarkable communications which were made to him on that day. The state of mind in which he was at the time here referred to, is not such as the prophets are often represented to have been in when under the prophetic inspiration (comp. Ezek. i. 1, viii. 3, xl. 2; Jer. xxiv. 1), and which was often accom- panied with an entire prostration of bodily strength (comp. Num. xxiv. 4; Ezek. i. 28; Dan. x. 8-10; 1 Sam. xix. 24; Jer. xx. 7; Rev. i. 17;, but such as any Christian may experience when in a high state of religious enjoyment. He was not yet under the prophetic ecstaey (comp. Acts x. 10, xi. 5, xxii. 17), but was, though in a lonely and barren island, and far away from the privileges of the sanctuary, permitted to enjoy in a high degree the consolations of religion : an illustration of the great truth that God can meet his people any where; that, when in solitude and in circumstances of outward affliction, when persecuted and cast out, when deprived of the public means of grace, and the society of religious friends, he can meet them with the abundant consolations of his grace, and pour joy and peace into their souls. This state was not inappropriate to the revelations which were about to be made to John, but this itself was not that state. It was a state which seems to have resulted from the fact, that on that desert island he devoted the day to the Avorship of God, and by honoring the day dedicated to the memory of the risen Saviour, found, what all will find, that it was attended with rich spiritual influences on his soul. ^[ 0?i the Lord's day. The word here rendered Lord's — KvpiaKdg — occurs only in this place and in 1 Cor. xi. 20, where it is applied to the Lord's Supper. It properly means pertaining to the Lord; and, so far as this word is con- cerned, it might mean a day pertaining to the Lord in any sense, or for any reason — either because he claim.^d it *s A. D. 96.] CHAPTER 1. 67 his own and had set it apart for his own service; or because it was designed to commemorate some important event pertaining to him; or because it was observed in honor of him. It is clear (1) that this refers to some day which was distinguished from all other days of the week, and which would be sufii- ciently designated by the use of this term. (2) That it was a day which was for some reason regarded as peculiarly a day of the Lord, or peculiarly devoted to him. (3) It would further appear that this was a day particulai'ly devoted to the Lord Jesus, for (a) that is the natural meaning of the word Lord as used in the New Testament (comp. Notes on Acts i. 24), and (6) if the Jewish Sabbath were intended to be designated, the word Sabbath would have been used. The term was used generally by the early Christians to denote the first day of the week. It occurs twice in the Epistle of Ignatius to the Magnesians (about A. D. 101), who calls the Lord's day, " the queen and prince of all days." Chrysostom (on Ps. cxix.) says, "It was called the Lord's day because the Lord rose from the dead on that day." Later Fathers make a marked distinction between the Sabbath and the Lord's day ; meaning by the former, the Jewish Sabbath, or the seventh day of the week, and by the latter, the first day of the week kept holy by Christians. So Theodoret (Fab. Haeret. ii. 1), speaking of the Ebionites, says, " They keep the Sabbath according to the Jewish law, and sanctify the Lord's day in like manner as we do." Prof. Stuart. The strong probability is, that the name was given to this day in honor of the Lord Jesus, and because he rose on that day from the dead. No one can doubt that it was an appellation j given to the first day of the week, and j the passage therefore proves (1) That that day was thus early distinguished in some peculiar manner, so that the mere mention of it would be sufficient to identify it in the minds of those to whom the apostle wrote; (2) that it was in some sense regarded as devoted to the Lord Jesus, or was designed, in some way, to commemorate what he had done ; and (3) that if this book were written by the Apostle John, the observance of that day has the apostolic sanction. { Ue had manifestly, in accordance with I a prevailing custom, set apart this day in honor of the Lord Jesus. Though alone, he was engaged on that day in acts of devotion. Though far away from the sanctuary, he enjoyed what all Christians hope to enjoy on such a day of rest, and what not a few do in fact enjoy in its observance. We maj re- mark in view of this statement, (a) .hat when away from the sanctuary, and deprived of its privileges, we should nevertheless not fail to observe the Christian Sabbath. If on a bed of sickness ; if in a laud of strangers ; if on the deep ; if in a foreign clime ; if on a lonely island, as John was, where we have none of the advantages of public worship, we should yet honor the Sab- bath. We should worship God alone if we have none to unite with us; we should show to those around us, if we are with strangers, by our dress and our conversation; by a serious and devout manner; by abstinence from labor, and by a resting from ti-avel, that we devoutly regard this day as set apart for God. {h) Wo may expect, in such cu-cumstances, and with such a devout observance of the day, that God will meet with us and bless us. It was on a lonely island, far away from the sanc- tuary and from the society of Christian friends, that the Saviour met " the be- loved disciple," and we may trust it will be so with us. For on such a desert island ; in a lonely forest ; on the deep, or amid strangers in a foreign land, hi can as easily meet us as in the sanctuarj where we have been accustomed to wor- ship, and when surrounded by all the privileges of a Christian land. No man, at home or abroad; among friends or strangers; enjoying the privileges of the sanctuary, or deprived of those privi- leges, ever kept the Christian Sabbath in a devout manner without profit to his own soul; and when deprived of the privileges of public worship, the visita- tions of the Saviour to the soul may be more than a compensation for all our privations. Who would not be willing to be banished to a lonely island like Patmos, if he might enjoy such a glorious vision of the lledeemer as John was favored with there ? ^ A?id heard be- lu'nd me a great voice. A loud voice. This was of course sudden, and took him by surprise. % As of a trumpet. Loud as a trumpet. This is evidently 68 EEVELATIOK ^..D.98. 11 Saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the first and the last : and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia ; unto Ephesus, " a c. 2. 1. the only point in the comparison. It does not mean that the tones of the voice resembled a trumpet, hut only that it was clear, loud, and distinct like a trumpet. A trumpet is a well-known wind instrument distinguished for the clearness of its sounds, and was used for calling assemblies together, for marshal- ling hosts for battle,