صور الصفحة
PDF
النشر الإلكتروني

that when I was yet with you, I told you these things? And now we know what withholdeth, that he might be revealed in his time.

["There was a check in the time of Paul, and then, and not till then, ceases to exist in the way when the evil breaks out in all its force. That check, whatever it is, does not restrain the apostasy, nor the working of Satan, but the Man of Sin himself, the setting up of the dominion of the Iniquitous one, and when it is removed, Satan lends his aid to the Iniquitous one; who is yet to come. It is one and the same 'beast' which ascends first from the sea then from the bottomless pit. That 'beast' has very much to do with the 'woman,' who is Babylon, Rome. The date of this epistle in no small degree helps the interpretation. It was written in the time of Claudius; (comp. Acts xviii. 2, 5; 1 Thes. iii. 1, 6;) and this very circumstance utterly refutes Grotius' attempt to interpret the prophecy of Paul concerning Caligula. The ancients were of opinion that Claudius himself was absolutely this check [the instrumentality, or medium of holding back being severity towards the Jews]: for from this circumstance, as it appears, it came to pass that they considered Nero, the successor of Claudius, to be the Man of Sin; and when the wickedness of Nero, how furious soever it might be, had not, however, filled up that measure, they accounted Domitian, and the other Emperors of a similar character, as a kind of complement to make up the full measure of the evil. [Yet there was an ancient tradition concerning the rise of Antichrist from the Jews.] They certainly did not by this interpretation exhaust the prophecy; but yet they attained to some part of the truth, namely, that something connected with Rome is here intended, whatever might be the mode of its exhibition."— Bengel.]

For now already the mystery of iniquity is working. [continuous from its beginnings-threads in weaving the web]: only, he who now letteth [hinders] will let until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked ["lawless, iniquitous one, himself the greatest evil, as opposed to The Law which is holy, just, and good"] be revealed ["when he begins to act with open wickedness, although few perceive, see through,-the wickedness"], whom The Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with The Brightness of His Coming: Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan [" as Christ is related to God, so on the contrary is Antichrist to Satan : " Rev. xiii. 2. And the dragon gave him his power, and his seat, and great authority: Matt. iv. 8, 9]: with all

power and signs and lying wonders ["shown by the 'false prophet' who serves the interest of the beast,' and that, too, even before the ascent of the beast from the bottomless pit "]: and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the Truth, that they might be saved. And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a Lie (John v. 43). That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness (Rev. xiii. 8, 14; xvi. 12-14). But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren beloved of The Lord! because God hath from the beginning chosen you to salvation through sanctification of The Spirit and belief of the truth: whereunto He called you by our Gospel, to the obtaining of the Glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

6

[So, in 2 Tim. ii. 19, comfort after the prediction of mournful events,— though predicted for a distant future yet the mystery of iniquity was even at that time in operation:-"Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them who are His.' Has looked upon, and knows, and draws His saints near to Him (Num. xvi. 5): knows His own in love, nor ceases to know them, but preserves them, as His, and that fact He will make known. And (on the other face of the round seal these words are read), 'Let every one that nameth The Name of Christ depart from iniquity!'-implying the power to depart and the blessedness of those who depart."]

Therefore, brethren! stand fast, and hold the traditions which ye have been taught! [whether by word or our epistles, 1 Thes. iv., v.] Now, our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, and God, even our Father, Who hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope through grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work. (Mark xvi. 20; 1 Cor. xv. 58; John xvi. 33; xvii. 4, 22.)

John v. 43; viii. 17, 18, 43-45.

I am come in My Father's

Name, and ye receive Me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.

[Only factions have as yet received any of the false 'Christs,' not the

Sanhedrin, the nation's highest council which rejected Jesus, and which rejection the people confirmed. Matt. xxvi. 59; xxvii. 22; John xviii. 38-40.]

It is also Written in your Law, that the testimony of two men is true (Deut xix. 15, 16-21). I am One Who bear witness of Myself, and The Father Who sent Me beareth witness of Me.

[ocr errors]

[So also in the mimicry and deception (Ex. vii. 11, 12; Rev. xiii. 1, 11, 13-(comp. xi. 5; Matt. xxiv. 24)—14, 15); the Egyptian magicians produced the same symbol of "wisdom" with Moses, howbeit their serpents came to an ignominious end; the "false prophet" of the successor of Pharaoh will be able to call down supernatural fire, like the Prophet Elijah (1 Kings xviii. 37, 38; 2 Kings i. 10, 12); one of the "Two Witnesses who stand by The Lord of the whole earth (Zech. iv. 14; Luke ix. 30, 31; Rev. xi. 3—13); the mimicry is very complete, even to the "false prophet,” being the speech or utterance of Antichrist, assuming together in all things the prerogatives of The Messiah and the relationship of The Eternal Son Who made manifest the Mind and Will of The Father; and was the Express Image,-xapaкTǹp,- the impress, as of a seal, of His Personal Essence; Who was The Ray (Himself "The Glory" Visibly Expressed, Rev. xxi. 23; Heb. i. 3) extending to our knowledge and perception The Invisible Glory of The Father (2 Cor. iv. 6-10; 1 Tim. vi. 14-16). And at the time of The Lord's First Advent, the Serpent-who is in the last times become a murderous (John viii. 44) " Dragon" (Rev. xii. 3, 4; xiii. 2)—imitated the miracle of the Incarnation; it may not be incontrovertible that Matthew's form of speech (iv. 24) distinguishes absolutely between those who were "possessed with devils," and those who "were lunatic; " but the evidence of the personality of the unclean spirits,-who had entered into men (and 66 cast out" by the "word " swine, -any available embodiment―), and were of Christ's command, by the breath of His mouth,- appears to be sufficiently conclusive when we hear The Divine Saviour addressing them as conscious and subject individuals—“ Hold thy peace, and come out of the man!" (Mark i. 25; v. 8; Luke iv. 35); at the same time rejecting their testimony to His own Majesty, and passing by their prayers, or leaving them, rather, to accomplish their own failure and disappointment, and to send them, by the granting, back to the abyss (Luke viii. 31; Mark i. 24): "He suffered not the devils to say that they knew Him" (Mark i. 24 (Jas. ii. 19; Matt. viii. 29), 34, margin; Luke iv. 34, 41).]

Why do

ye

cannot

not understand My speech? Even because ye hear My word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of

your father ye will do; he was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the Truth, because there is no truth in him (2 Pet. ii. 4; Jude 6). When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own; for he is a liar and the father of it. And because I tell you the truth, ye believe Me not.

Gen. iii. 1, 4, 5. The serpent said unto the woman, "Yea? Hath God said, 'Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?' . . Ye shall not surely die: for God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."

Rev. xxii. 14, 15. 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. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

2 Pet. ii. 1-21. But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable [ruinous] heresies, even denying The Lord Who bought them, and bring upon themselves swift [on account of the speedy Coming of The Lord] destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you: whose judgment now for a long time lingereth not, and their damnation slumbereth not [is not inactive]. For if God spared not the Angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell [consigned step by step to Tartarus, Luke viii. 31; Job i. 6-12; Rev. xii. 10; Eph. ii. 2; Rev. ix. 11, 14; xii. 9; xx. 1-3, 10], and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto Judgment; and spared not the old world, but saved Noah, the 8th person, a preacher of righteousness (Luke xxi. 36), bringing in the Flood upon the world of the ungodly; and, turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes, condemned them with an overthrow, making them an example unto those that, after, should live ungodly; and delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked (for that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and

hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds): The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptation (Luke xviii. 26-37; Jer. xxxix. 11-18, xlv. 5; &c.), and to reserve the unjust unto the Day of Judgment to be punished: but chiefly them that walk after the flesh in the lust of uncleanness, and despise government. Presumptuous are they, self-willed, they are not afraid to speak evil of dignities.

[By "government" seems to be meant the prince of the fallen spirits, by "dignities" the other fallen spirits (Eph. vi. 12). Jude also (8) retains the singular and the plural. Each apostle shows that he is speaking of creatures whom the wicked do not know nor understand (2 Pet. ii. 12; Jude 10). See the dignity of the saints! who shall have the power of judging Angels (1 Cor. vi. 3), beings who still retain the indelible impress of majesty. (Luke x. 18, 19; Matt. xii. 26, 29; John xiv. 30; 2 Cor. iv. 4.) Bengel.]

Whereas Angels, who are greater in power and might, bring not railing accusations against them before The Lord. But these, as natural brute beasts, made to be taken and destroyed, speak evil of the things that they understand not; and shall utterly perish in their own corruption; and shall receive the reward of unrighteousness, as they that count it pleasure to riot in the day-time. Spots they are and blemishes, sporting themselves with their own deceivings while they feast with you; having eyes full of adultery, and that cannot cease from sin; beguiling unstable souls; an heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children: which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam, the son of Bozor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness; but was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking without a voice of man [Bengel] forbad the madness of the prophet. These are wells without water, clouds that are carried with a tempest; to whom the mist the chilling horror-of darkness is reserved for ever. For when they speak great swelling words of vanity [blasphemy], they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were for a little time escaped from them who live in error. While they promise them liberty, they themselves are the servants of corruption: for of whom a man is overcome, of the same is he

« السابقةمتابعة »