of polemical controversy. This very remarkable and solemn warning is given to all time. Those exegetes who add to the text will be punished, as set forth in the seven plagues. He "that heareth" is put for an exegete or commentator. 19. Καὶ ἐάν τις ἀφέλῃ ἀπὸ τῶν λόγων τοῦ βιβλίου τῆς προφητείας ταύτης, ἀφελεῖ ὁ Θεὸς τὸ μέρος αὐτοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς καὶ ἐκ τῆς πόλεως τῆς ἁγίας, τῶν γεγραμμένων ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τούτῳ. 19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from these things which are written in this book. Those who take away from the text will be deprived of the heavenly rewards described in the Book. The honest exegete, who reverently strives to bring out the meaning of the Book, may go astray, and yet incur no penalty. He may take confidence from other passages: "Blessed is he that readeth and heareth the words of this prophecy (R. i. 3); where ȧvayiwokov points to exegesis. (See also R. xxii. 7, notes.) "And he that heareth, let him say, Come." (R. xxii. 17, where see notes.) 20. Λέγει ὁ μαρτυρῶν ταῦτα, Ναὶ, ἔρχομαι ταχύ. Αμήν, ἔρχου, κύριε Ἰησοῦ. 20. He that giveth testimony of these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Come Lord Jesus. There is running through this Book a note of expectation, of something coming. "For the time is at hand" (R. i. 3). It may be supposed that this is a reflection of the parousial ideas prevalent in the time of St. John. There could be no such thought in the minds of those who had read and understood this Book. They would know that "the second coming" lay at least a thousand years beyond the fall of Rome. If we bear in mind the genesis of the Book in the mysterious hour, long foretold, when the Roman eagles were gathered to the destruction of Jerusalem, if we bear in mind the peculiar position of the Hebrew Nazarene Church, the Church of the Elect, in relation to the Old Law and the New Kingdom, if we bear in mind the prophecy of Daniel and the emotion which passing events had excited in the minds of the Nazarenes, we can understand the meaning of this expectancy. In the description of the fall of Jerusalem (Chap. X.) an angel swears "by ... him that liveth for ever and ever . . . that time shall be no more" (i.e., that there shall be no further delay), that when "the seventh angel . . . shall begin to sound the trumpet, . . . the mystery of God shall be finished, as He has declared by His servants the prophets" (R. x. 6, 7). And when the seventh angel sounded the trumpet, there were great voices in heaven saying, "The kingdom of this world is become our Lord's and his Christ's, and he shall reign for ever and ever. Amen." (R. xi. 15.) The transference of the kingdom of this world from the Israelites and the Old Law to Jesus Christ and the Gentiles is apparently in view in these last words, "I come quickly." But side by side with these reflections there runs another train of thought, not conflicting with them, which leads to an eschatological conclusion. If we consider that this Book has been a mystery to the Church and the world from the end of the first till the end of the nineteenth century: if we consider that when the mystery was unveiled in our own time, it was found that the predictions of the Book had been fulfilled down to its last lines: it is reasonable to conclude that its last lines may have a special appeal to the twentieth century. "Behold I come quickly" is the warning addressed to the close of the Philadelphian age of the Church, in which we live (R. iii. 11). It occurs three times in the epilogue of this Book; it may be a trumpet-call to the twentieth century. 21. Ἡ χάρις τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησου Χριστοῦ, μετὰ πάντων τῶν ἁγίων, ̓Αμήν. 21. The grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, be with you all. Amen. (S. omits XplorоÛ, Táντшν, and Amen.) The final blessing of S. John is somewhat in the epistolatory style of the Apostles. See Rom. xvi. 24; 1 Cor. xv. 23. But he calls down the blessing of Jesus Christ on "all the saints,” where Tv άyiwv refers to "the camp of the saints," as last seen, at R. xx. 8, surrounded by the forces of Satan. ABADDON, 238 Abercius, 218 INDEX Abomination, the, 114, 253; "abominations," 325, 389 Abraham, rock of, 208 "Aẞuroos, 232 f., 238, 256, 362, 363, 374 Accusation, 335, 337 Accuser, the, 272 Adoration (see λατρεύειν) Προσκυνεῖν: the ancients, 193, 201; angels, 220; the Synagogue, 173; devils, idols, 243; Temple, 250, 263; dragon and Beast, 281, 289, 298; God, 296, 394; all nations, 307, 348; fellowservant, 351, 393; not, 364; angel, 393 Adultery, 159 Ælia, 57 Afflict, 314 "Ayiot, 49, 91, 198, 224, 225, 264, 283, 285, 314, 326, 344, 346, 350, 370, 400 Agrippina, 61 Amethyst, 386 *Αναγινώσκω, 126, 399 Ananus, 260 Ancients, 105, 189, 193, 198, 199, 201; dramatic use, 201, 220; explain, 221, 263, 294, 348 Andreas, 43, 89, 96, 120 "Angels" of Church, 100; of Apocalypse, 123, 124, 323, 385, 392, 393, 397; meaning, 138; laxvpós, 195, 245, 335, 344, 381; numbers, 199; trumpet, 224; dramatic use, 201; four, 215, 240; another, 216, 224; adore, 220; seven, 224; of pit, 238; rebel, 269; dragons, 271; thrown down, 272; flying, 296; of fire, 225, 303; plagues, 308; of waters, 315; having key, 362; twelve, 382; measure, 385; standing in sun, 356 Anger, nations, 264; dragon, 276 Ανοίξαι, 195, 196, 198, 202 Antichrist by S. John, 18 f.; Polycarp, 24; S. Irenæus, 26, 84; Hip politus, 28; medieval, 45, 46, 252 Antimontanists, 25, 27, 30, 40 Antioch, 23, 81 : Antipas, 150 f. Apocalypse: Name of book, 85; Battle, 236, 237; in heaven, 271; Bear, 279 Bear, to, 140, 141 Beast, the: Number, 15, 291; name, Beast from earth. Bed of sickness, 159 Bede, Venerable, 8, 43 See the False Beginning, 130; creation, 178; and Beheaded, 364 "Behind," 98, 132, 133 Behold, 128, 147, 173, 177, 183, 378, 379, Benary, 92 Benediction, 193, 200, 221 Beryl, 386 Bewail, 129, 338 Bibles: Greek, 40; S. Jerome, 42; Βιβλίον, 133 Bind, 362 Birds, unclean, 335, 356, 359 Bithynia, 68 "Bitter," 230, 249 Blasphemy, 91, 146, 281, 282, 290, 307, "Blind," 180 Brother, 130 "Burning," 135, 229, 230, 332, 338; Burial, 71; Jewish, 49, 257, 261, 357 Cæsar worship, 10, 12, 47 f., 68, 277, Calés, Rev. J., S.J., 286 "Called," 331 Camp of saints, 82, 370 Candlesticks, 58, 97 f., 133, 134; sym- Canisius, B. P., 166 Canticles, 198; new, 294; of Moses, 306; the Lamb, 306 Carthage, Councils of, 42 Cassiodorus, 43, 121, 220 "Cast" into sickness, 159; into hell, Chalcedony, 386 Children, 160; child-birth, 268; of Chorus, the, 116, 198, 202, 221, 263, Christ, 123, 125, 128, 130; His king- Christianity, Gentile, 23; spread, 47 Church, the: Seven ages, 96 f., 100; Church buildings, 21, 75, 105 Cities, Gentile, 323 City, Beloved, 82, 370; Holy, 251, Clarmontane Codex, 42 Claudius Cæsar, 41, 48, 49, 89, 124 |