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trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine

is slightly changed. The juice of the is described in the following terms grape becomes blood, and it flows by Ezekiel: "Then will I leave thee in immense quantities, even to the upon the land, I will cast thee forth horses' bridles. Does not this denote upon the open field, and will cause that the Romans were to be afflicted all the fowls of the heaven to remain with bloody wars? Bishop Newton upon thee, and I will fill the beasts says, "It is said (ver. 20) that the of the whole earth with thee. And I blood came even unto the horse- will lay thy flesh upon the mountains, bridles,' which is a strong hyperboli- and fill the valleys with thy height. cal way of speaking to express vast I will also water with thy blood the slaughter and effusion of blood; a way land wherein thou swimmest, even to of speaking not unknown to the Jews; the mountains; and the rivers shall for the Jerusalem Talmud, describing be full of thee. And when I shall put the woful slaughter which the Roman thee out, I will cover the heaven, and Emperor Adrian made of the Jews at make the stars thereof dark; I will the destruction of the city of Bitter, cover the sun with a cloud, and the saith, 'that the horses waded in blood moon shall not give her light;" xxxii. up to the nostrils.' Nor are similar 4-7. When we come to the Apocaexamples wanting even in the classic lypse, we find the same prophetic authors for Silius Italicus, speaking metaphors kept up; for that book of Hannibal's descent into Italy, useth bears a more striking resemblance a like expression, of the bridles flow- to the books of the Old Testament, ing with much blood;' Sil. Ital. iii. especially those of the prophets, than 705." Destructive wars are described to any book of the New Testament. by the flowing of great quantities of The moon turns to blood; vi. 12. blood; and in the hyperbolical lan-One judgment was described as hail guage of the Apocalypse, it flows even "to the horse-bridles" for the space of sixteen hundred furlongs. It is a strong hyperbole, like that in John xxi. 25; viz., that if the acts of Jesus were all written, "the world it-earth with_all plagues;" xi. 6; God self could not contain the books." The oriental writers abounded in hyperboles; and the two to which we have now referred are perhaps the most striking in all the Scriptures. We infer nothing from the verse before us, than that great slaughter was intended. Judgments, especially such as came in the form of war, are represented under the metaphor of blood. The figure perhaps originated in what is said Exod. vii. 17. The success of Israel against their enemies is described by saying, they shall "drink the blood of the slain ;" Numb. xxiii. 24. The garments of warriors are rolled in blood; Isaiah ix. 5. At the destruction of Ídumea, the mountains were said to melt with blood; Isa. xxxiv. 3. The destruction of Egypt

and fire mingled with blood: and the "third part of the sea became blood ;" viii. 7, 8; the two witnesses had the power to turn the waters to blood, which is described as "smiting the

gave the Romans "blood to drink," because they had shed the blood of saints; xvi. 6; the murderous cruelty of the Romans was described by the woman, the "great harlot," being drunk with the blood of saints and martyrs; xvii. 6; and Jesus, king of kings, when he rode forth to judge the Romans, was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood; xix. 13. So much for the use of the metaphor of blood. The hyperboles are, some of them, exceedingly bold. Having thus brought our comments on this chapter to a close, we observe, that we see clearly what was the judgment denounced in verses 9-11, under the metaphors of the wine of the wrath of God, and of torment in fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy

press, even unto the horsebridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

A

CHAPTER XV.

ND I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvel

angels and the Lamb. Those judg- noticed, when examining the 14th ments are described more particu- chapter, that he treated of the spread larly in verses 14-20. The Son of of the gospel among the Jews; the man and his angels are represented preaching of it to the Gentiles; the as being present. He comes upon a punishment of the persecutors, who white cloud, with a sharp sickle. The were to have no rest "day nor night;", harvest of the earth is ripe; the clus- and the rest that was to be enjoyed ters of the grapes are ready to be by those who had been crucified with gathered in; the "wine of the wrath Christ. In the 15th chapter we shall of God" is to be poured out from the find an account of the progress of the "wine-press of the wrath of God." gospel among the Gentiles, and the The figure is then slightly changed, preparations that were made for visitand the wine turns to blood to repre- ing the wrath of God upon those who sent the dreadful slaughter with which persecuted the Gentile Christians. the enemies of Christ were supposed 1. I saw another sign. - Everything to be overthrown. Who can suppose in this chapter is remarkably scenic. this is descriptive of judgments in the This introduction of another sign immortal state? Look at xix. 13-was only in fulfilment of the reve21. There we shall find similar lator's general plan, of representing figures occurring again. Jesus tread-in a dramatic manner the events eth the "wine-press of the fierceness which he knew were to take place. and wrath of Almighty God;" but It was made known to him that a that this represents the punishment new order of judgments was about to of men on the earth, is evident, be- fall, to wit, the judgments on the cause the fowls are called to eat their Roman persecutors; and this he flesh, a metaphor which is never describes by saying: "I saw another applied by any writer that we know sign in heaven," &c. The word of, sacred or profane, to the spirit- semeion, rendered "sign," signifies, world. Several of the remaining among other senses, a portent, a chapters will be found only to carry prodigy, or extraordinary occurrence, out, in a more extended form, the representing or portending somewhat subjects embraced in this. else. See Parkhurst and other lexicographers. As if the revelator had said, I saw another wonder, or prodigy, the forerunner of great events.

CHAPTER XV.

Preliminary Remarks. - We must now expect, for several chapters, only the same subjects which were hinted at in the 14th chapter. They are carried out in a more enlarged form, which will appear as we proceed. This, let it be remembered, was precisely the manner of the revelator in treating of the judgments upon the Jews. He gave, in chapter sixth, a synopsis or general view of those judgments, and then proceeded in subsequent chapters to fill up his plan more completely. Thus the harmony of his design is preserved. We

Great and marvellous. For these reasons it is called "great and marvellous." The language which the revelator here applies to the destruction of Rome is similar to that which was used by our Lord in regard to the destruction of Jerusalem. Luke xxi. 11, 25: "And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations, with perplexity; the sea and the waves roaring." See xvi. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 18-21, where more distinct metaphorical allusions are made to signs in the sun, air, sea,

seven last plagues; for in them

not sent. The judgments God sent on Pharaoh were called plagues ; Exod. xi. 1; xii. 13, et. al. Plagues are spoken of in the sense of judgments in the passage before us. The judgments upon the Jews, as men.

to

alypse, were called "plagues;" ix. 20; xi. 6. The same term is applied to the judgments upon the Romans; xvi. 9, 21; xviii. 4, 8. Those who added to the Apocalypse were suffer these plagues in common with the others; xxii. 18. Why were plagues divided into seven forms? See xv. 6, 7, 8; xvi. 1; xvii. 1. For the same reason that the Lamb was said to have seven horns, and seven eyes; v. 6; and that the book had seven seals; v. 1; and that there were seven angels with seven trumpets; viii. 2; and that seven thunders uttered their voices; x. 3, &c., &c.

lous, seven angels having the waters, islands, mountains, &c., &c. Seven angels. What was the sign, great and marvellous, which the revelator saw? Ans. "Seven angels having the seven last plagues ;" and here let it be observed, this is merely scenic, or imaginary. John unquestioned in the former part of the Apoctionably stated the truth; but we must take it in his own dress. The facts he was instructed to give; the imagery was his own; but this in a great part he borrowed from other portions of the Scriptures, especially the prophets. We say with Dr. Doddridge on another part of the Apocalypse, John's images "represented in a figurative manner things that did really exist. And though it is possible that aërial scenes might, by divine or angelic power, have been formed, I think it much more probable, that all that passed was purely in the imagination of St. John." See Doddridge on Rev. iv. 2, in his Expositor. We have now before us another series of seven angels. The former series (viii. 2, 6) had seven trumpets to sound; these have "seven golden vials full of the wrath of God." There is somewhat of a similarity in the imagery in these two cases. T Having the seven last plagues. The plague, strictly speaking, was a disease which God was supposed to have sent upon men in his wrath. "And Moses said unto Aaron, Take a censer, and put fire therein from off the altar, and put on incense, and go quickly unto the congregation, and make an atonement for them: for there is wrath gone out from the Lord: the plague is begun. And Aaron took as Moses commanded, and ran into the midst of the congregation; and behold, the plague was begun among the people: and he put on incense, and made an atonement for the people. And he stood between the dead and the living; and the plague was stayed;" Num. xvi. 46— 48. Plagues are put for judgments even where this kind of disease was

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The number seven signified, to the Jews at least, the idea of perfection and completeness; and nothing was more natural, therefore, as the revelator was about to describe all the judgments that appertain to this part of the Apocalypse, so that after them none would remain to be fulfilled, to represent them by the full and perfect number. And it is distinctly to be remembered, that these seven plagues embrace all the plagues subsequently mentioned in the Apocalypse; xvi. 9, 21; xviii. 4, 8; xxii. 18. If any other plagues besides these were found, then these would not be the last; and they are expressly said to be the last. ¶ In them is filled up the wrath of God.why were these plagues called last plagues? The answer is given in the verse before us, "for in them is filled up [or finished] the wrath of God." What is meant by filled up? Prof. Stuart says, the Greek seems to run, "having seven plagues, which are the last.". Vol. ii., p. 304. The measure of God's wrath is full; nothing more is to be added. When Jesus

And

is filled up the wrath of God.

2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory

said to the Jews, Matt. xxiii. 32, "Fill ye up then the measure of your fathers," he meant, Complete your wickedness, seeing ye will not repent. Go on to the full. In the seven last plagues was filled up, or completed, the wrath of God. The wrath of God is a metonymy for divine judgments; as in the preceding chapter the persecutors were threatened, that they should "drink of the wine of the wrath of God;" xiv. 10. The wrath of God having been represented by wine, xiv. 10, the seven angels who are to describe the judgments have seven vials of this wine of God's wrath put into their hands. Those vials were poured out upon the earth, xvi. 1, which shows that the wrath of God, mentioned xiv. 10, does not refer to the future world.

this verse.

2. Sea of glass. Almost the entire Apocalypse is scenic; especially so is We have before met with this "sea of glass" in the course of the revelator's metaphors; see iv. 6. We are inclined to the opinion that the figure was drawn from the beautiful pavement, before the tabernacle, on which the people stood to worship God. It was highly polished, composed of plates or slabs of different colors; and when the sun shone brightly, it reflected, like water, the shadows of the people. Some of the slabs were white and others red; and the rays reflected from them, mingling together, gave it the appearance of a "sea of glass mingled with fire." This view of the metaphor makes the latter part of the verse reasonable, they "stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God ;" i. e., they stand (as it were) where the people in the temple stood when they gathered together with their harps to worship God. This represented the Roman Christians as standing, after the manner

over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, hav

of the Jews, before the tabernacle to worship God, and praise him with the harp, the well-known instrument in the religious exercises of the Jews. We say the Roman Christians, because, 1st. The Jewish Christian church had been described in the preceding chapter; and 2d. Because these were such as had "gotten the victory over the beast, [the persecuting power of Rome,] and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name." Observe, the revelator does not say it was actually a "sea of glass," but "as it were a sea of glass," i. e., in appearance like a "sea of glass mingled with fire." The pavement of the New Jerusalem was similar: "And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass;" xxi 21. For the use made of the harp by the Jews, see our remarks on xiv. 2. Many have been the sage conclusions which have been drawn from the fact of the Roman Christians standing on a "sea of glass mingled with fire." The glass, we have been told, represented the clearness and purity of divine truth on which they were based, and the fire denoted the purifying power thereof, &c., &c. make no such deductions. The figure was probably drawn from the floor of the temple before the tabernacle; and by the Roman converts standing there with harps in their hands, denoted that they had been brought to worship the true God. ¶ Victory over the beast. — Victory is success in a contest, the victorious party hath overcome the other. There is no doubt that the Christians had to endure many struggles, and often conflicts would take place in their own bosoms. They had much to suffer of pains, and penalties, and reproaches; but if they were faithful,

We

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Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

they were promised a reward. This horse and his rider hath he thrown figure of overcoming was a favorite into the sea. The Lord is my strength one with John. "For whatsoever is and song, and he is become my salborn of God, overcometh the world: vation: he is my God, and I will and this is the victory that over-prepare him a habitation; my father's cometh the world, even our faith; God, and I will exalt him," &c., &c.; 1 John v. 4. ¶ Over his image, over Exod. xv. 1-19. This was a song his mark, &c. These amplifications of triumph for deliverance from opare mere imagery; they add nothing of importance to the sense. The meaning to be attached to the mark of the beast may be found explained under xiii. 16, 17; xiv. 9-11. See, also, xvi. 2; xix. 20; xx. 4. To get the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number. of his name, was to remain faithful to Christ, - to remain victoriously a Christian,-in spite of all the power of the beast, and all the machinations of the false prophet, and all the deceptions of the image, and all the earthly advantage that was to be gained by wearing his mark, not bowing down wickedly even to the emperor himself.

3. The song of Moses

and of the Lamb. They sung both a Jewish and a Christian song. The Jewish Christians were not represented as being converted to sing the song of Moses, for they had always sung that. They were converted to sing a new song, viz., the song of the Lamb; v. 9. The Christian religion is based on the Jewish; the converts from heathenism, therefore, are represented as being brought to sing the united "song of Moses and the Lamb." What was the song of Moses? It was the song of triumph which Moses and the children of Israel sung for the destruction of their enemies in the Red Sea. "Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the Lord, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the

pression, bondage, thraldom; and it
was a song like this that the Roman
Christians sung, for they also had
been delivered from bondage, - they
had "gotten the victory over the
beast, and over his image, and over
his mark, and over the number of his
name;" ver. 2. The Gentile Chris-
tians, by being converted to Christi-
anity, would learn the history of
Moses; they would see that they had
had a deliverance like his; they
would shout a triumphant song as he
did; they would also sing the song
that was new to the Jews as well as
to themselves, viz., the song of re-
deeming love; and thus they would
sing "the song of Moses and the
Lamb." ¶ Great and marvellous are
thy works. Here is the matter of the
song: let us contemplate it in the
words of the revelator himself.
"Great and marvellous are thy
works, Lord God Almighty; just and
true are thy ways, thou King of
saints. Who shall not fear thee, O
Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou
only art holy for all nations shall
come and worship before thee; for
thy judgments are made manifest."
This was a song like that of Moses,
embracing the same great principles
of gratitude and confidence. God's
works are great and marvellous; his
ways are just and true.
shall fear him and glorify his name.
He is the Holy One. All nations
shall come and worship him.

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All men

4. Thy judgments are made manifest. - They were made manifest to Moses

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