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2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testi

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I had read (with that design of translating only) to the end of the first verse of the book, these words, which must come to pass presently, had such an impression on my mind, offering themselves as a key to the whole prophecie, (in like manner as, this generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled - Matt. 24, 34,have demonstrated infallibly to what coming of Christ that whole chapter did belong,) that I could not resist the force of them, but attempted presently a general survey of the whole book, to see whether those words might not probably be extended to all the prophecies of it, and have a literal truth in them, viz., that the things foretold and represented in the ensuing visions were presently, speedily to come to pass, one after another, after the writing of them. But before I could prudently pass this judgment, which was to be founded in understanding the subjectmatter of all the visions, some other evidences I met with, concurring with this, and giving me abundant grounds of confidence of this one thing, that although I should not be able to understand one period of all these visions, yet I must be obliged to think that they belonged to those times that were then immediately ensuing, and that they had accordingly their completion; and, consequently, that they that pretended to find in those visions the predictions of events in these later ages, and those so nicely defined as to belong to particular acts and persons in this and some other kingdoms, (a far narrower circuit, also, than that which reasonably was to be assigned to that one Christian prophecie for the universal church of Christ,) had much mistaken the drift of it. The arguments that induced this conclusion were these: First, that this was again immediately inculcated, v. 3, for the time nigh, and that rendered as a proof that these seven churches, to whom the prophecie

mony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw.

was written, were concerned to observe and consider the contents of it. Blessed is he that reads, and he that hears, &c., (saith Arethas, that so hears as to practise,) for the time, or season, the point of time, is near at hand. Secondly, that as here in the front, so c. xxii. 6, at the close, or shutting up of all these visions, and of St. John's Epistle to the seven churches, which contained them, 't is there again added, that God hath sent his angel to shew to his servants the things that must be speedily, or suddenly; and immediately upon the back of that are set the words of Christ, the author of this prophecie, Behold I come quickly, not in the notion of his final coming to judgment, (which hath been the cause of a great deal of mistake-see note on Matt. xxiv. 6,) but of his coming to destroy his enemies, the Jews, &c.; and then, Blessed is he that observes, or keeps, the prophecies of this book, parallel to what has been said at the beginning, c. i. 3. Thirdly, that, xxii. 10, the command is given to John, not to seal the prophecies of the book, which that it signifies that they were of present use to those times, and therefore to be kept open, and not to be laid up as things that posterity was only or principally concerned in, appears by that reason rendered of it, because the time is nigh, the same which had here at the beginning been given, as the reason that he that considered the prophecies was blessed in so doing."(Intro. to Apoc.) The remarks of Professor Stuart on this point are certainly worthy of very serious consideration, coming, as they do, not only from a gentleman of very great learning, but from one whose preconceived opinions would have led him to take different ground, had he regarded it as being tenable. "In Rev. i. 1, the writer says, that God gave to Christ the revelation, in order to show his servants what should take place speedily,

3 Blessed is he that readeth, | things which are written thereand they that hear the words of in: for the time is at hand. this prophecy, and keep those

4 John to the seven churches

Ver. 2. Who bear record. — John bear record of the three things here named. 1st. The word of God; 2d. The testimony of Jesus Christ; and, 3d.

1st. Whether the word of God here is to bear the same sense as in John i. 1, or whether it signifies the gospel of God, is somewhat doubtful. It is precisely the same phrase which is used personally for Christ in xix. 13. 2d. It was a favorite practice of John, in his gospel and epistles, to speak of the gospel of Jesus as a testimony, and the preaching or publishing of it as testifying, or bearing witness, &c. 3d. By all things that he saw, John, doubtless, meant those which the angel showed unto him.

quickly. In i. 3, the author solemnly declares, that what is written in this book is of speedy accomplishment; the time is near, i. e. the time when what is revealed will be accomplished." All things that he (John) saw." Thus much in the prologue to the book. The epilogue repeats three several times the equivalent declaration, Behold, I come quickly; xxii. 7, 12, 20. The coming of Christ is the main subject of the book, so that the declaration here is, that what the book contains will speedily be accomplished. That such must be the meaning, is evident by appeal to similar declarations in Rev. ii. 16, iii. 11, and xi. 14. No one can doubt, that what is said is what is meant, in these last cases. As little reasonable doubt can there be, if philology is to Ver. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, be trusted, in the cases just cited in the and they that hear. When the Apocprologue and epilogue of the book. alypse was written, books were few, What tolerable meaning now can be and few persons, therefore, could given, and defended on exegetical read. Many were obliged to hear, grounds, to the declarations in ques- because they could not obtain the tion, if we suppose that the main por- manuscripts to read them. Hence tion of the book relates to events the readers and the hearers are both some thousand and more of years mentioned. The language is probathen future? And if every writer is bly designed to have special_applicato be permitted the liberty of explain- tion to the churches whom John ading his own purpose, why should we dressed. But it is not he who readrefuse to John the liberty that we eth only, but readeth and keepeth. concede to all others?" (Hints So in Luke xi. 28, "Blessed are they on Prophecy, 2d ed., pp. 111, 112.) that hear the word of God and keep it." By his angel.. As angels are spo-¶ For the time is at hand. What ken of so frequently in this book, time? The time when these great each one always performing a differ- events were to be fulfilled. The time ent office, it is worthy of remark, that mentioned ver. 1, and that was shortly the angel here spoken of is the one to come. Thus far the preface of the who made known the whole revela-book. The first three verses are the tion, and hence may be called the apocalyptical angel. We shall meet with many angels in the course of the book; but we shall not meet with this one again until we come near the close, xxii. 6, 8. ¶ His servant John.

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That John, the apostle, is here meant, is shown in the introduction to this work.

preface; and the preface contains three points: 1st. By whom the revelation was made; 2d. The subjectmatter of the revelation; and, 3d. The blessedness of reading and keeping it. It was addressed particularly to that generation, to people then on the earth. They were called on to read and keep the word, for the time

which are in Asia: Grace be

was at hand. Is not the time here intended the time of Christ's coming to take vengeance on the Jews? See the remarks on i. 1. In the 22d chapter of this book, the revelator says, "Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book, [why?] for the time is at hand;" ver. 10. Again, ver. 12, "Behold I come QUICKLY." And again, ver. 20, "Surely, I come QUICKLY." In 1 Peter iv. 7, "The end of all things is at hand." So in 2 Thess. ii. 2, "The day of Christ is at hand." In Phil. iv. 5, "The Lord [or the day, coming of the Lord,] is at hand;" and in Rom. xiii. 12, "The night is far spent, the day is at hand." Such is the uniform language of the epistles. The coming of Christ, the great day of the Lord,

was AT HAND.

unto you, and peace, from him

(says Woodhouse) with the mention of the number seven, which is afterwards so frequently and symbolically used, in this sacred book; wherein we read of seven spirits of God, seven angels, seven seals, seven trumpets, seven vials, seven heads of the dragon and of the beast. In which passages, for the most part, as in others of holy Scripture, this number appears to represent a large, complete, yet undefined quantity. Hannah, in her song, (1 Sam. ii. 5,) says, 'The barren hath borne seven (that is, a large, but indefinite, number of) children.' So God threatens that he will punish the Israelites seven times; that is, very completely and severely. In the Hebrew etymology of this word seven, it signifies fulness and perfection. (Daubuz.) Philo styles it the completing number; and it is mentioned as such by Cyprian. With the Israelites, this number became thus important, because God having completed his work of creation in six days, and added thereto the seventh, a day of rest, commanded them, in memorial thereof, to reckon time by sevens. Through the nations of the East, this manner of computation passed on to the Greeks and Romans, as hath been shown in a variety of instances. By the seven churches of Asia are implied all the churches of Asia, and, it may be, all the Christian

Ver. 4. Having thus concluded the brief preface, or introduction, we come now to the book itself. It is in the form of an epistle. John to the seven churches. Here the revelator once more gives his name. If he had been any other than the apostle John, there would have been some need of his explaining himself further, and showing who he was. He says, John, by way of preeminence, meaning the JOHN of the church. And what seven churches are here referred to? The names of the churches are given in ver. 11 of this chapter, viz., the churches in Ephesus, Smyrna, Perga-churches, in whatever situation or mos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, period of the world. Such was the and Laodicea. But what need was opinion of the most ancient commenthere that these seven churches should tators on the Apocalypse, who lived be counselled and warned, and none near to the time of its publication." others? It seems very probable that -(Annotations on the Apocalypse, John uses these churches as represen- 8vo., London, 1828, p. 58.) ¶ Grace tative of the Christian churches in gen-be unto you. - This is the apostóleral. He selects seven as samples of ical benediction. the rest, and gives to them the advice which all needed. The careful reader of the Apocalypse needs not to be told, that the number seven is very frequently employed therein. It is a series that is continually occurring. Here we meet for the first time

"Grace to you,

and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ." Rom. i. 7; and the same may be found in substance in various other places. 1 Cor. i. 3; 2 Cor. i. 2; Gal. i. 3; Eph. i. 2; Phil. i. 2; Col. i. 2; 1 Thess. i. 1; 2 Thess. i. 2; Phil. 3. In all these

which is, and which was, and| which is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before his throne;

cases, and many others which might be named, mention is made first of God the Father, and second, of his Son Jesus Christ. The revelator gives it more the Hebrew form. Instead of speaking of God as the Father, he calls him the present, the past, and the to come, which seems to have been designed to express his endless existence. It is a circumlocution for the name Jehovah, which, after the captivity in Babylon, the Jews, from superstitious veneration for the word, refused to pronounce. Jehovah signifies the self-existent, in which the idea of the endlessly-existent is involved he who gives being and existence to others. -(Calmet.) The Jewish writers often use the phrase, of which the apostle's Greek terms are a literal translation. (A.Clarke.) And from the seven spirits. - This is the first mention of the seven spirits, and it deserves serious consideration. There are two views taken of the subject by different commentators. 1st. It is supposed that the Holy Spirit is intended. Bede remarks, "The one spirit is said to be septiform to describe its perfection and plenitude;" in the same sense in which seven thunders are used to describe loud thunder. The other interpretation is, that the figure of the seven spirits is taken from the attendants upon earthly monarchs, the seven most faithful and confidential being kept near to the royal person, and being his medium of communication with his subjects. The latter interpretation seems to us the most probable, although there is nothing strained or unnatural in either; and, in fact, they may both be combined without violence. That ancient monarchs were attended in the manner described, see Ezra vii. 14; Esther i. 10, 14; Jer. iii. 25; 1 Esdras viii. 11;

5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, and the First-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of

Tobit xii. 15. Such being the custom of ancient monarchs, and John drawing the court of heaven in his imagination after the form of an ancient earthly court, he supposed seven spirits to dwell near the presence of God. This, however, is merely scenical; as the robe, the ring, and the shoes that were put upon the prodigal on his return to his father's house. They were merely the imagery used by our Lord to describe the joy of the parent at the event. The view which we have adopted is further confirmed by the position of the seven spirits; they were before the throne, not on the throne, with the Eternal; but waiting at the foot thereof, to execute his commands. These seven spirits of God belong both to the Father and the Son, as we shall see when we come to other parts of the Apocalypse. See iii. 1; v. 6. The reason of this is obvious. Jesus is the vicegerent of the Father; not ruling under him, but, in the spiritual kingdom, ruling in his room and stead. The seven spirits, therefore, which attended at God's throne, may with great propriety be said to execute the will of both the Father and the Son. especially v. 6.

See

Ver. 5. And from Jesus Christ.The benediction is from the Son as well as from the Father, and such, we have shown, was the apostolical form. ¶ Faithful witness. — Ĵesus was a faithful witness, faithful and true; iii. 14. The word translated witness, signifies not merely what we call a witness, but a martyr also,— one who is ready to seal his testi, mony with his blood. This was true of our Lord; he died, in attestation of the truth he had taught. That the idea of martyrdom entered into the conception of the revelator, seems evident from the next words. ¶ The

the earth. Unto him that loved | us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,

first-begotten of the dead.

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6 And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and

That is, but by his own blood, he entered in the first-born from the dead, or the once into the holy place, having obfirst raised. Paul called Christ the tained eternal redemption for us. "first fruits of them that slept;" 1 For if the blood of bulls and of goats, Cor. xv. 20, 23. The word translated and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling first-begotten in the passage before the unclean, sanctifieth to the purifyus, is elsewhere in the New Testa- ing of the flesh, how much more ment translated first-born. It occurs shall the blood of Christ, who through but once in the Apocalypse. ¶ Prince the eternal Spirit offered himself with of the kings of the earth. The word out spot to God, purge your con translated "prince," here signifies science from dead works to serve the leader, or first in order. Jesus is living God;" 11-14. Such is the called "the Prince of life;" Acts iii. manner in which the mere blood of 15; and it is also said, "God hath Christ came to be spoken of as possesexalted him to be a prince and a sing a purifying power. It is only in saviour;" Acts v. 31. He is said to a metaphorical sense that it can have be prince of the kings of the earth, such a power. In this sense the blood because he is the greatest of all of of Christ is frequently spoken of by the them, the King of kings and Lord New Testament writers. 1 Peter i. 2, of lords;" xix. 16. ¶ Unto him that 19; 1 John i. 7; Rev. v. 9; vii. 14; loved us and washed us, &c. - Here xii. 11. It is well known to every commences an ascription of praise student of the New Testament, that and glory to Christ, which continues the truth is the purifying agent under to the end of the following verse. the gospel. What else can purify the And in what sense did Jesus wash soul? Jesus prayed the Father to men from their sins in his own blood?" sanctify men through the truth;" The figure of blood, as it is here used, and then he added, "Thy word is is derived from the ceremonies of the truth;" John xvii. 17. "By mercy Mosaic ritual. God said to the children and truth iniquity is purged; and by of Israel, "For the life of the flesh is in the fear of the Lord men depart from the blood and I have given it to you evil;" Prov. xvi. 6. As the truth, upon the altar, to make an atonement then, is the purifier of the soul, in for your souls: for it is the blood that what sense is it said that the blood maketh an atonement for the soul;" of Christ cleanseth men from sin? Lev. xvii. 11. Now, if we turn to Evidently when it stands as a metathe Epistle to the Hebrews, we shall phor of the truth. Now, that John find that Paul draws his figure of the knew that the Lord Jesus spoke of sanctifying and atoning power of the his blood metaphorically for the truth, mere blood of Christ, from this por-will be evident, if we look at his gostion of the Jewish service. "Almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission;" Heb. ix. 22. Again, Paul says, "But Christ being come a high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this building; neither by the blood of goats and calves,

pel. "Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh

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