INTERPRETATION.

Ver. 1. This chapter seems to be a parallelism of the passage, in the preceding, which describes the coming happiness of the earth. That "the sea gave up the dead that were in it," does not necessarily imply any contrast in point of time with "there was no sea," the former phrase possibly meaning merely that all the dead were summoned. The direct reasons for conceiving that this chapter refers only to the earth are, that the Celestial Church is represented descend ing from Heaven, to complete that final union which had been so long symbolized by Marriage; that this happiness is promised to the people ofthe first res surrection;" that the announcement of the sentence of those who had rejected or abandoned the faith follows, and that, in express contrast to the fall of the Papal Babylon, one of the angels who had inflict ed the plagues on her, leads the apostle to contemplate the triumph of the Church; an earthly punishment being contrasted with an earthly triumph; though the earth may be but the earlier place of a happiness which is declared to be, like those to whom it is given, immortal.

Ver. 10. The splendour and costliness of precious stones is used to express the glory and indescribable beauty of the new state of the Church. That splendour, which no human imagination can adequately conceive, is to be approached only by accumulating, as the vision has done, images of the highest earthly lustre and value. The glory of God had been already figured by gems. The Vision seems to imply that a glory like his own shall irradiate the Church that he has saved.

1

PROPHECY.

THE CHURCH TRIUMPHANT.

CHAPTER XXII.

Ver. 1. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: 4. And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

5. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

6. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to show 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.

8. And I John saw these things and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which showed me these things.

9. Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellow servant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

10. And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

11. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12. And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14. Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

16. I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things

in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

17. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take of the water of life freely.

18. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19. And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

20. He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

21. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all Amen.

INTERPRETATION.

The description of the triumphant Church has now been given. The triumph is that of the thousand years, which, in the announcement of the final fall of the Papacy, was predicted to be at hand. The angel had there declared that the "marriage of the Lamb was come."* The present description is that of the Bride. "Come hither, I will show thee the Bride."t The marriage, or intimate union of the Church with Christ in his manifest glory and sovereignty, is therefore antecedent to the second, or general resurrection; an event which is to be rapidly followed by the close of the great mediatorial system, the giving up of the kingdom by Jesus as the Messiah, and his resumption of the glory which he had with the Father and the Spirit, before the world was. "Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father." The kingdom of Christ is prophesied in the ancient Scriptures to be everlasting. And such it shall be, but under the sway of its Lord, resuming his original grandeur, after having triumphed over death and Satan, upon the spot of their su

Apoc. xix. 7. Ibid. xxi. 9. 1 Cor. xv. 24.

premacy; and rescued from the double grave, an innumerable host to be the inheritors of glory for ever.

Ver. 8. The Apostle, hearing words which were the very oracles of God, once again conceives the angel to be the Lord; and, as has been already observed, worships under the error. The angel, without rebuke, again discloses his subordinate rank, and having thus guarded against misconception, proceeds to speak in the person of Jesus. "I am Alpha and Omega."

Ver. 11, "He that is unjust let him be unjust still." An ancient phrase for the condemnation of the selfwilled. As in Ezekiel. "Thus saith the Lord God, He that heareth, let him hear, and he that forbeareth, let him forbear; for they are a rebellious house. The warning of prophecy has been given; the mercy of God has been offered; if men will not receive it, the crime is their own. The unspeakable blessing of immortal happiness is offered freely, and offered to all who feel a wish for it. "Let him that heareth, say, Come. And let him that is athirst, say, Come. Ver. 18. The angel prohibits under the strongest malediction, all attempts to falsify or add to the Apocalypse, on pretence of a new prophecy,-a command rendered necessary by the practice of the Gnostic and other heretical writers in the early ages; Apocalypses having been forged under the names of several of the Apostles; they, however, were soon detected, and perished.

Ver. 20. The angel had already commanded (ver. 10) that the prophecy should not be sealed, or shut up, for the time of its commencement was at hand. He now, at the close, as if to give peculiar force to the impression of its nearness, repeats the warning, "Surely, I come quickly." The immediate visitation reverts to the seven Churches, there being no other reference to them since the original vision."

"I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the Churches." (ver. 16.) St. John, being the Apostle of the Asiatic Church, is made the depository of the warning of the Roman persecution. He receives it with holy obedience. "Even so, come, Lord Jesus," and transmits it with the Apostolic blessing to his people. "The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen."