An over-anxious conservatism might fear, that if the notion of sudden vengeance upon the unwatchful and unwary were removed, crime would be multiplied upon the earth, and a blank created, for which no adequate substitute could be found; but it remains to be tried whether the ideas of a finished salvation, a perfected Christianity, an open kingdom of heaven, a life-state in Christ, an eternal reign in an eternal kingdom already set up, might not have a more constraining influence upon mankind than the questionable theory of an uncertain coming. The objections then against the Advent as a past event are neither fatal nor insuperable, and may be seen to be less valid than those which may be advanced against an Advent yet to come: for whilst the one can be defended by the most undoubted warrants of Scripture, the expectation of the other can only be an unauthorised effort of the human mind. It only remains for the Author to say, that the interpretation of such a difficult Book as the Apocalypse is not the work of one man or of one age. Confined, however, as its visions are to the period of Jerusalem's downfall, the basis of its symbols can only be sought for within a limited compass, and a closer examination of contemporaneous history may make the interpretation already given still more perfect. As the result of increased information, he might now prefer (if any two individuals are intended) James and Mathias as the "Two Witnesses," whose corpses were to lie in the street of the great city: the former called a "witness" by Eusebius, and slain in the period immediately preceding the Siege of Jerusalem; the latter said by tradition to have been stoned by the Jews before the destruction of the Temple. might also wish that he had interpreted the visions of Daniel as descriptive of analogous desolations under Antiochus Epiphanes rather than as direct prophecies of scenes which took place in the last days of the Mosaic Economy; and that he had been led to consider the "New Jerusalem" more as a figurative representation of perfected Christianity coming down from heaven, than the heavenly state itself. These are minor points, in no way affecting the truth of the general principles which have been adopted. The right key has been put into the lock, and the wards will, sooner or later, turn of themselves. Camberwell, 1861. He THE APOCALYPSE FULFILLED, IN THE CONSUMMATION OF THE MOSAIC ECONOMY, AND THE COMING OF THE SON OF MAN. LECTURE I. DATE OF THE APOCALYPSE. 1 REV. 1, 2, 3. 1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass: and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John: 2. Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. 22 REV. 6, 7. 16. 6. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done. 7. Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book. 16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. Our first Lecture must be devoted to establish certain preliminaries upon which the whole theory of the subsequent interpretation is to be grounded. Here it is of the utmost importance that the base of the future superstructure should be firm and strong. B We are about to erect a building, to raise story upon story, to pile up casement upon casement; it is well then to look to the foundation that it is securely laid, "lest haply after we have begun to build, we should not be able to finish," and the edifice erected at so much cost and care should fall headlong to the ground. As a preliminary of the highest moment with regard to the subsequent interpretation, it is proposed to consider in this Introductory Lecture the question of the date of the Apocalypse. Here is a material difference of opinion. We have men of high classical attainments and critical acumen maintaining the Neronic date, i. e. that the Apocalypse was written during the reign of Nero, and consequently before the destruction of Jerusalem1; and others of equally high reputation defending the Domitianic date, i. e. that it was written during the reign of Domitian, and consequently after the destruction of Jerusalem. Who shall decide? And yet a decision must be come to; all subsequent interpretation depends upon this question; it is a point of all others most necessary to be attained. If the Apocalypse was written in the time of Nero, before the destruction of Jerusalem, a consistent, reasonable, and satisfactory explanation can be given of the book: if written in the reign of Domitian, after the destruction of Jerusalem, that line of interpretation only can be adopted which rests on the will and caprice of the interpreter; and this opens so wide a field, and is capable of such unlimited extravagance, that it is no uncommon event for hermeneutical opponents to take contra 1 Bishop Newton: "These prophecies were written a few years before the destruction of Jerusalem." Professor Lee: "I take it for granted that the author lived some time before the destruction of Jerusalem." Moses Stuart: "That the Apocalypse was written under the bloody reign of Nero, or shortly after, is a matter agreed on by nearly all the recent critics who have studied the literature of this book." To these may be added, Sir I. Newton, Hentenius, Harduin, Grotius, Lightfoot, Schleusner, Hammond, Dr. A. Clarke, Wetstein, and many others. "Wetstein contends, and he is supported by very great men among the ancients and moderns, that the Book of Revelation was written before the Jewish war and the civil wars in Italy. That the important events which took place at that time, the greatest that ever happened since the foundation of the world, were worthy enough of the Divine notice, as the affairs of his church were so intimately connected with them."-Dr. Adamı Clarke. |