(noav) were with the Jews and some with the apostles], ver. 5, ως δε εγενετο δρμη των εθνων τε και Ιουδαίων συν Tois, etc. The individuals Twv of both classes.

It is a mistake to think there is never an anarthrous

noun followed by an article. When the first noun depends on another word to which it answers, as "What," and the following one is of individuals who refer to that, you will have the first anarthrous, the second not. When the first is an individual whole, dependant on the following genitive, it must have the article, το πληθος της πολεως.

. It was the multitude, the one whole multitude of that city, not of another (ver. 4); but opμn тwv ε0vwv, etc., because there it is merely what took place, and does not belong wholly and exclusively as an embodied individual to those people.

Ver. 8, και τις ανηρ εν Λυστροις αδυνατος τοις ποσιν. The man was αδυνατος τοις ποσιν: his two individual feet, though there is no αυτου (his); χωλος εκ κοιλίας unTpos [AUTOU], his mother's womb is merely a date to characterise his lameness. The womb is not before us objectively as an existing thing.

Ver. 10, eπe peyan τn pwvn is somewhat peculiar, but accounted for in the same way; μεγαλη φωνη would do, but simply characterise the manner of eTTE : τη own is his voice, raised to a loud pitch,—I have not the character of speaking but Paul's voice; eyaλn pwvn is, practically, one word. Hence, the article in the plural, unless there be a limiting word, means all of that kind.

Ver. 13, ταυρους bulls, τους ταυρους would be individuals designated; and the what is Tavpovs, i.e., all that comes under that name.

All this is not a different principle from the previous paper on it, but goes to the root; the other more to the form. The former grammatical, this metaphysical.

The noun is always characteristic, or the what of something, even when there is an article. The article indicates an individual, or single (many if plural) object

a

[The article in the Present Testimony, Vol. I.]

which is that, "What." The form of subject and predicate is merely an effect of this. The person "ó" or object I call man, the what of the object is an animal. Other words may take the place of the article in individualising as τις, πας, πολλοι. Οἱ πολλοι is something else; of gives a number of designated individuals in contrast with one, a number of individuals lost in the designation Toλo in contrast with some one or few otherwise connected though contrasted with them-oi ἡγεμονες, οἱ πολλοι, πολλοι is, becomes, a qualification, not a mere uncertain number. Hence, as a general rule, an unmentioned individual kind has no article; ayyeλos, ανθρωπος, προς παρθενον. It is what the being is; singular, but known by its character.

When mentioned, the article comes, too, as a rule, because an individual (now known) is designated.

There is an oracular absence of the article which, though apparently exceptional, only confirms the rule: πνευμα ἅγιον: και δυναμις ὑψίστου. It specially characterises what it was and is, not merely historical of what took place; in which case, the article would have been used. The translation (Acts i. 8) is right: "Ye shall receive power, the Holy Ghost coming upon you;" not as in the margin, that would have been, I conceive, TMηv δυναμιν.

No. XXIII.

REVELATION XX. v. 4-15.

4. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them; and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.

5. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.

This is the first resurrection. 6. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, 8. And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it-from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.

12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.

13. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

14. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. 15. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

Ver. 11. "A great white throne" is here presented to us, as having been seen, seen in vision, by John. This is commonly called "The great white throne."

And there was "him that sat on it" seen too.a

Then we read "from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them."

Here, clearly, we have the end of all that on which, and in connection with which, man had been found, in time, a dweller upon earth. This last of God's acts in

a In the Acts, two witnesses declare that it is Jesus who is to sit upon this throne, namely, in chap. x. 38-43, Peter; and in chap. xvii. 30, 31, Paul.

"God...

commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he (Jesus of Nazareth, v. 38), which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead” (ver. 42), so said Peter.

"God

...

now commandeth all men every where to repent; because he hath appointed a day, in which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath

raised him from the dead." So testified Paul.

time is described, here, very briefly, "from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away?' "" Peter also, in his second epistle, describes this scene, and tells us how it shall be brought to pass, "the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up" (iii. 10); "the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat" (ver. 12).

Time (as men speak) is that portion of eternity which is measured and marked off in portions, in connection with man here on earth, where he was originally placed by God as the centre and head of this earth's system. When the system itself passes, time (as we speak) passes with it. God's last act as to this earth is this causing the heavens and the earth which now are, and which are, by the word of God, "kept in store, reserved unto fire" (2 Pet. iii. 7), to pass away.

Some argue from what has been here, on earth, to what will be in another and entirely different system of things. And that what is true now would be true then. This is folly. If we do, by experience, know a little about things as they have been and are, yet do we know nothing correctly unless it be that which is derived from Scripture; and to God's word must we go, if we would know anything that lies beyond the passing away of the present system.

Next, we read of a judgment. And, mark it, I pray you, it is a judgment, not in this world, nor in the time of this world; but after "the earth and the heaven fled away," after the whole system has been purged by fire. But there is a judgment then. "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works."

Who are judged? The dead only.

It is not a general judgment; but only of such as are; at that time, "the dead."

It is not a general judgment,-for the first resurrection had brought out of the grave (as God thought it due to Christ that it should be) all that were therein who had believed in and served Him. "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection" (ver. 6). After living and reigning with Christ a thousand years, and being (together with those who had been alive and waiting for him, and had been changed), priests of God and of Christ (ver. 6), there is no question about judgment for them. God had shown what He thought it meet and right to do with those that slept in Jesus, and those that waited for Him. They had both been associated with His Son, reigning with Him a thousand years. Christ had come (1 Thess. iv.) to raise those that slept through Jesus; to change those that were still alive and awaited Him. They will not be among the dead. But, from Adam downward, many had died as unrepentant sinners,

-down even to the host of daring, open rebels, stirred up by Satan at the last: "Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle; the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city; and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them" (vers. 7-9).

Where are they to be judged? All that is said isThey stand before God.

There is no difference; the dead, small and great, stand before the throne. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and hell delivered up the Idead which were in them.

The trial will not turn upon human evidence. Books are to be opened-books of works; and another book to check them by the book of life; that it may be shown that none that have their names in that book of life come

Hades is the word here, i.e., the unseen world; not Gehenna.