4 Who shall not fear thee, | for thou only art holy for all O Lord, and glorify thy name? nations shall come and worship of the state. But it is also put for the wonderful displays of the power of God in overcoming and punishing his enemies. Hence the plagues he sent upon Egypt were judgments. "Wherefore say unto the children of Israel, I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians, and I will rid you out of their bondage, and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments;" Exod. vi. 6. The judgments with which God redeemed Israel were the remarkable manifestations of his power in wondrously preserving them against their enemies, and in opening their way to the promised land. These wonderful works they celebrated and praised as righteous, just and true. They were prominent facts in the history of the people; and, in all after ages, were celebrated as the righteous judgments of God. The rectitude of them was continually asserted. "The judg and the children of Israel, when the Egyptian hosts were drowned. They are visible every day. They were visible to the revelator. He did not consider them as far distant, but near; they were not prospective, but present. "Thy judgments ARE MADE MANIFEST." Does this seem as if the revelator believed the judgments of God were postponed to eternity? The judgments of the Apocalypse are represented as being come, or about to come. "Thy wrath is COME, and the time of the dead that they should be judged;" Rev. xi. 18. "The hour of his judgment Is COME;" xiv. 7. See the notes at large on vi. 10, but more especially xi. 18, and xiv. 7. Our notes on those passages will fully reveal our opinions of the Bible doctrine of judgment, formed after a very careful and we trust unbiassed study of that holy volume. In addition to what is said there, we would have it distinctly remembered, that under the Old Testament, God is rep-ments of the Lord are true and resented as the Judge. He is "the righteous altogether;" Psa. xix. 9. judge of all the earth;" Gen. xviii. So in the song of Moses, in which he 25; Psa. vii. 11; 1. 6; lxviii. 5; celebrated the deliverance of Israel lxxv. 7; Eccl. iii. 17. "Verily he is from the hands of the Egyptians, he a God that judgeth in the earth;" Psa. | insists on the rectitude of the judglviii. 11. Under the gospel reign, ments. "Who is like unto thee, O Jesus was appointed, as the agent of Lord, among the gods? who is like the Father, the judge of the world. thee, glorious in holiness, fearful As such he was ordained of God; in praises, doing wonders? Thou Acts x. 42. "For the Father judgeth stretchedst out thy right hand, the no man; but hath committed all earth swallowed them. Thou in thy judgment unto the Son ;" John v. 22. mercy hast led forth the people which Jesus throughout the New Testament thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided appears as the judge; Matt. xvi. 27, them in thy strength unto thy holy 28; Matt. xxv. 31-34; Rev. xix. habitation;" Exod. xv. 11-13. These 11. The splendid metaphors in the judgments are in the Apocalypse Apocalypse, of Jesus riding forth to made metaphors of the judgments of put down his enemies, refer to him as God upon Rome; and the song of the judge of the nations during the Moses becomes a song for the Chrisgospel reign. The word judgments, tians delivered from the hands of we are aware, has different significa their persecutors, who sing, "Great tions in the word of God. It some- and marvellous are thy works, Lord times signifies God's laws, or statutes, God Almighty; just and true are thy as we should call the laws of Massa- ways, thou King of saints. Who chusetts the judgments or ordinances shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glo before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest. 5 And after that I looked, and behold, the temple of the pillar of fire that guided them by night. "And on the day that the tabernacle was reared up, the cloud covered the tabernacle, namely, the tent of the testimony: and at even there was upon the tabernacle as it were the appearance of fire, until the morning. So it was always the cloud covered it by day, and the appearance of fire by night;" Numb. ix. 15, 16. This was the manifestation of the divine presence; and by it the people knew when to tarry and when to go forward. If the cloud moved, they moved; if the cloud remained stationary, they remained in their tents. We see, then, why the temple was called "the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony," viz., because that, above everything else, made the temple the place of reverence and worship. rify thy name? for thou only art holy for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest;" xv. 3, 4. And the judgments which are found described in the subsequent chapters of the Apocalypse are those which are here referred to, viz., the judgments which were sent upon the Roman persecutors of the church, whose punishments were so strikingly described in xiv. 9-11, 14-20. See xvi 5—7; xvii. 1; xviii. 8-10; xix. 2; xx. 12, 13. That they were temporal judgments, and not judgments in eternity, will be made abundantly evident in the notes on those passages. 5. Temple of the tabernacle of the testimony. By temple of the tabernacle was doubtless meant the temple that had stood on mount Zion. Generally, by the word temple, was intended the whole edifice, with its In heaven. — The verse we are now walls and outer courts. But what was all the rest in the sight of the Jews, compared with the inner temple, the ark, the "tabernacle of the testimony? The ark was called the ark of testimony, because it contained the tables of the law; so the tabernacle was called the tabernacle of the testimony, because in that tent the tables of the law were kept.— (Cal met's Dic., under Testimony.) This was the ark of the covenant; Exod. xxv. 10-22; or ark of the testimony; Idem, 16. The mercy-seat was upon the ark, and the cherubim were there. "There will I meet with thee, (said God to Moses,) and I will commune with thee from above the mercy-seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel;" Idem, 22. This, then, was most precious and sacred in the eyes of the Jews. As it was the supposed place of the divine presence, there stood the cloud that guided the people by day, and the considering, it seems to us, has reference to xi. 19: "And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple [what could be no longer seen on earth] the ark of his testament." We refer the reader to our notes on that verse. He will see, in the 11th chapter, which concludes the second principal division of the Apocalypse, and finishes the account of the destruction of the Jews, that the spiritual kingdom of the Messiah was fully established upon the ruins of Judaism. The kingdoms of this world became the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ; xi. 15; and he commenced to reign in power. At that time he took upon him his great power and reigned; 17. And as the outward temple on Zion was thus destroyed, God's peculiar presence was removed from the place up to heaven; and hence it was said the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament, xi. 19, or, which is the same thing, "the tabernacle of the testimony." Men should hence. tabernacle of the testimony in | seven plagues, clothed in pure heaven was opened: and white linen, and having 6 And the seven angels came their breasts girded with golden out of the temple, having the forth no longer worship God on Zion, or Gerizim; but the true worshippers in every place should worship him in spirit and in truth. Thus, in the sight of the revelator, the temple was removed to the dwelling-place of God; but he would vouchsafe his heavenly or spiritual presence to all humble worshippers everywhere. The Jews unquestionably looked upon heaven as a place. "For thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place;" Isaiah lvii. 15. This was supposed by the Jews to be the place of God's special presence. Nevertheless, they held that God could so manifest himself to men on earth, as to justify the belief that he was present with them, although not seen by outward eyes. He was present with Jacob, when on his way towards Haran: "Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not. And he was afaid, and said, How dreadful is this place! this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven;" Gen. xxviii. 16, 17. This shows that the belief that God could be spiritually present with men on earth, although his dwelling-place was in heaven, existed from the earliest antiquity. Afterward God dwelt with the Jews. He accompanied them through the wilderness, in the ark. He dwelt in Zion, whither the people went to appear before God; Psalms lxxxiv. 7. The Jews supposed his presence was there in a sense in which it was manifested nowhere else on earth; and there it continued until the temple was destroyed, when the Shekinah departed. The God, however, still remained to bless all the nations of the earth. He changed not; it was the form of his presence only that was changed. His temple was opened in heaven; that is, there girdles. no longer remained a temple on earth. But in every place he would dwell with the contrite. The law was succeeded by the covenant of the gospel, and this was to be regarded henceforth as "the tabernacle of God;" xxi. 3. 6. Came out of the temple. It was so customary with the Jews to draw their sacred images from the temple, that John still continued the practice, although the edifice was destroyed. Of the temple that once stood on Zion, he saw a likeness in heaven, and angels came out of it, as the priests used to come out of the building on earth. Having the seven plagues. - The same plagues which had been mentioned verse 1, in which was filled up the wrath of God. See xv. 1, 7, 8; xvi. 1; xvii. 1. These angels were executors of the divine will in pouring out the plagues upon the earth, as we shall see when we come to the next chapter. ¶ Clothed in pure and white linen. White was the color of honor; iii. 4, 5, 18; iv. 4; vi. 11; vii. 9, 13, 14. These seven angels, coming out of the temple like priests, are of course clothed in the habits of priests. ¶ Golden girdles. This was the habit of the priests. They were girded over their breasts with girdles, composed in part of gold. "And the curious girdle of the ephod which is upon it, shall be of the same, according to the work thereof; even of gold, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen;" Exod. xxviii. 8. See our remarks on Rev. i. 13. 7. Four beasts. The translation of the word zoa should not be beasts, but living creatures. They were not beasts; but a kind of fabulous beings, remarkable for their intelligence, reverence, and constancy. The word for wild beast is not the word that occurs here, but therion, which was 7 And one of the four beasts | wrath of God, who liveth for gave unto the seven angels ever and ever. seven golden vials full of the applied to the beast in Rev. xiii. The four beasts are mentioned first, ch. iv. 6. If the reader wishes to know what they were like, in the revelator's imagination, see iv. 7, 8; v. 8, 14; xiv. 3. We earnestly recommend to those who wish for light in regard to these hieroglyphical beasts, or creatures, to consult our long note on Rev. iv. 6. These living creatures gave to the seven angels who had issued from the spiritual tabernacle "seven golden vials full of the wrath of God." This, of course, is scenical. These angels, as we have said, were to be executors of the divine will, in pouring out the vials of wrath; of course the vials were put into their hands. The metaphor of the living creature passing out the vials of wrath from the ark, or mercy-seat, seems to have been taken from Ezk. x. 7: "And one cherub stretched forth his hand from between the cherubims unto the fire that was between the cherubims, and took thereof, and put it into the hands of him that was clothed with linen; who took it, and went out." The figure shows that the judgments were inflicted by the command of God. The vials were full of the wrath, or judgments, of God, meaning something that was emblematical of those things. The vials are a very similar metaphor to that of the cup; xiv. 10. Who liveth forever and ever. — - God is the same always; he changeth not; he is without variableness or shadow of turning. Here is an instance in which we know that the phrase "forever and ever" imports strictly endless duration, because it is applied to God. The words take their force from the subject to which they are applied. But when the phrase is applied to things on the earth, and to things that long ago passed away, we know that it cannot have the same extent of signification. 8 And the temple was filled 8. And the temple. - John still has his eye on the image of the temple in heaven. See the note on verse 5. The temple on Zion, from which he had drawn so many of his metaphors, was destroyed; but still he sees the image of it in heaven; xi. 19; xv. 5; and thus draws his metaphors from it still. Filled with smoke. The metaphor of "smoke from the glory of God" is very ancient. When God was represented by Moses as descending on mount Sinai, it was covered with smoke. "And mount Sinai was altogether on a smoke, because the Lord descended upon it in fire: and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly. And when the voice of the trumpet sounded long, and waxed louder and louder, Moses spake, and God answered him in a voice;" Exod. xix. 18, 19. This is much in the style of the Apocalypse. God's presence was represented as veiled in the smoke. The cloud and the smoke were fine metaphors, as veils of the mysterious presence of the Deity. Who that has witnessed a thunder-storm, has not felt somewhat of the awe that the description of Moses was calculated to inspire in the Jews? "And it came to pass on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a thick cloud upon the mount, and the voice of the trumpet exceeding loud; so that all the people that was in the camp trembled;" Exod. xix. 16. The voice of thunder fills with awe the hardest heart. The sun is veiled, as if retiring because its Maker had come. "The thunder of his power who can understand?" Job xxvi. 14. Who is not seized with the conviction, that behind the cloud there is a mysterious Deity, whose voice we hear, and who sends his irresistible flame through the heavens? Who can wonder, then, that the ancient with smoke from the glory of | God, and from his power; and Hebrews used the cloud and the smoke as veils of God's presence? Isaiah employs the same metaphor: "In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke;" vi. 1-4. There are many instances in which the cloud represented, in the same way, the presence of God's glory. In the journey through the wilderness the Lord went with the Israelites by day in a pillar of cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire; Exod. xiii. 21. For instances of a cloud being mentioned as the veil of the divine presence, see Exod. xvi. 10; xix. 9; xxiv. 15, 16, 18; xxxiv. 5; xl. 34, 38; Lev. xvi. 2; Numb.. ix. 16; x. 34; xi. 25; 1 Kings viii. 10; 2 Chron. v. 13; Ezk. x. 4. How easily, then, we account for the description of the circumstances attending the transfiguration. "While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased: hear ye him;" Matt. xvii. 5. How natural, too, to represent Christ as coming in the clouds, to inflict judgment on his enemies; Matt. xxiv. 30; Luke xxi. 27; Rev. i. 7. In reference to the ascension also, the same language is employed: "And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight!" Acts i. 9. "When the congregation of Israel murmured against Moses and Aaron, Numb. xvi. 42, and were gathered against them, they looked towards the tabernacle of the congregation, and behold the cloud covered it, and the glory of the Lord appeared. This was the forerunner of judgment, for at once Moses directed Aaron to go quickly and make atonement, because wrath is gone out from the Lord, and the plague is begun; ver. 46. Thus proper is this emblem of smoke from the glory of God, or from the cloud of glory, to express the execution of judgment, as well as to be a sign of favor. Both proceed from the power of God, and in both he is glorious." (Lowman.)¶ No man was able to enter into the temple.· The services of the temple are represented as suspended. The worship of which we have so glowing a description in verses 3, 4, is discontinued. No man can enter into the temple during the pouring out of the plagues. It came even to pass, as the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the Lord; and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the Lord, saying, For he is good; for his mercy endureth forever: that then the house was filled with a cloud, even the house of the Lord; so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud: for the glory of the Lord had filled the house of God;" 2 Chron. v. 13, 14. Here there was such a manifestation of the divine glory, in the cloud, that the priests were obliged to withdraw. It is possible that the revelator drew his metaphor from this prominent fact in the sacred history of the Jews, which all the people reverently remembered. His object was to show that God was present in the judgment of the seven vials, which were to be poured out upon the earth; xvi. 1. In xiv. 10, it was said that the Roman persecutors were punished "in the presence of the holy angels and the presence of the Lamb." In the verse before us Jehovah him |