to make war against him who sat on the horse, and 20 against his army. And the beast was taken, and the false prophet that was with him, that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived those that had taken the mark of the beast, and those that worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into a lake of fire 21 burning with brimstone. And the rest were slain with the sword of him who sat on the horse, which sword proceeded out of his' mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. CH. XX. And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, that had the key of the deep pit, and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thousand years; 3 and cast him into the deep pit, and shut him up, and 4 set a seal on him, that he might deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be finished: and after that he must be loosed a little time †. And I saw thrones, and those who sat upon them, and judgement was given to them: and I saw the souls of those that had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus, and for the word of God, and those that had not worshipped the beast or his image, nor had received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands: and they lived again, and reigned with Christ the thousand ‡ years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again, until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Happy and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrec * Or, seized. †The binding and the shutting up of Satan denote the weakness and restraint of the comparatively few unconverted to Christianity; and, as Daubuz expresses it, that the kingdom of Christ shall enjoy peace and purity of religion. Newcome's note. The reader will remember that the whole of this is a visionary scene, which passed in the imagination of the writer; and by no means implies the real existence of any such monster or being as the dragon, the old serpent, the devil and Satan; which are only names to express and to personify the hostile idolatrous and persecuting power. + a thousand, N. tion on such the second death hath no power*; but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign 7 with Christ a thousand years. And when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be loosed out of his prison; 8 and will go forth to deceive the nations, which are in the four parts of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for battle: whose number will be as the sand of 9 the sea. And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints, and the beloved city and fire came down from God out of heaven, and 10 devoured them. And the devil who deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where both the beast and the false prophet were: and they will be tormented day and night, for ever and evert. 11 And I saw a great white throne, and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, 12 and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before the throne and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life and the dead were judged out of the things written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and Hades || gave up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every one according to his works. This seems to imply, that there will also be a resurrection for those over whom the second death hath power: that is, that the wicked themselves may be ultimately restored to virtue and happiness. + Gr. ages of ages. This text has also been alledged, but with little reason, in favour of what has justly been called the heart-withering doctrine of eternal torments. See chap. xiv. 11. and the note there. The persons who are here said to be tormented for ever and ever, are not real, but figurative, and symbolical persons, the devil, the beast, and the false prophet. The place therefore, the kind, and the duration of their torment, must also be figurative, The meaning seems to be, that all the corruptions of the Christian religion, as well as all heathen idolatry and the spirit of persecution, shall be totally and for ever exterminated And pure and undefiled christianity, in its spirit and in its power, shall every where prevail, and produce universal peace and harmony and happiness. This is the true advent of Christ. And to the promise of his speedy appearance for these glorious purposes, what benevolent heart can refuse to adopt the response of the prophet, Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!' chap. xxii. 20. before God: R. T. i. c. the unseen state. 14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. 15 This is the second death, even the lake of fire. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire. CH. XXI. And I saw a new heaven, and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away: and there was no more sea. 2 : And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorn3 ed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice out of heaven, saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them, and be their 4 God and he will wipe away all tears from their eyes; and death will be no more; and sorrow, and lamentation, and pain will be no more: for the former things are pass5 ed away." And He who sat upon the throne, said, "Behold, I make all things new." And he saith [unto me,]"Write for these words are true and worthy of 6 belief." And he said unto me, "It is accomplished I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. To him that is thirsty I will give drink without cost from the foun7 tain of the water of life. He that overcometh shall inherit these things || and I will be his God, and he shall 8 be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and sinners ¶, and abominable, and murtherers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone : which is the second death." 9 And one of the seven angels, that had the seven phials** full of the seven last scourges, came and talked to me, saying, "Come hither; I will shew thee the bride, the 10 wife of the lamb." And he carried me away in spirit to * These words are omitted in R. T. and N. See Griesbach. I, John, saw etc. R. T. all things, R. T. and God will wipe away, R. T. R. T. omits and sinners.” ⚫ bowls, N. a great and high mountain, and shewed me the holy city Jerusalem*, coming down out of heaven from God, 11 having the glory of God: [and] its light was like a most 12 precious stone, as a jasper-stone when clear as crystal: and having a great and high wall; and having twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written on the gates, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons 13 of Israel: on the east, three gates; and on the north, three gates; and on the south, three gates; and on the 14 west, three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them twelve names † of the twelve 15 apostles of the lamb. And he who talked to me had for a measure a golden reed, to measure the city, and its 16 gates, and its wall. Now the city lay square, and its length was as much as the breadth. And he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. length, and the breadth, and the height of it, were equal. 17 And he measured its wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, according to the measure of a man, which is the 18 angel's measure. And the building of its wall was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, and like clear glass. 19 And the foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the 20 fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolithe; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprasus; the eleventh, jacinth; 21 the twelfth, amethyst. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls every gate was of one pearl: and the street of the 22 city was pure gold, like transparent glass, And I saw in The it no temple for the Lord God Almighty, and the lamb, 23 are its temple. And the city had no need of the sun, or of the moon, to shine in it for the glory of God enlight24 ened it, and the lamb was its lamp. And the nations || † and on them the names, R, T. the nations of those who are saved, R. T. *that great city, the holy Jerusalem, R. T. shall walk in its light and the kings of the earth shall 25 bring into it their glory [and honour]. And its gates shall not be shut by day: for there shall be no night there. 26 And men shall bring into it* the glory and the honour of 27 the nations. And nothing shall enter into it which defileth †, or which worketh abomination, or uttereth a lie : but those only that are written in the lamb's book of life. CH. XXII. Then he shewed me a river of water of life, clear as chrystal, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of 2 the lamb. In the midst, between the breadth of the city and the river which ran on each side, was the tree of life, which bare twelve kinds of fruits, and yielded its fruit every month and the leaves of the tree were for the heal3 ing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse of any kind | but the throne of God and of the lamb shall 4 be in it; and his servants shall worship him, and shall see his face; and his name shall be on their foreheads. 5 And night shall not be [there]: nor need of lamp, nor of light of the sun; for the Lord God will enlighten them**; and they shall reign for ever and ever‡‡. 6 Then he said unto me, "These words are worthy of belief and true: and, the Lord God of the spirits of the prophets¶¶ hath sent his angel to shew his servants 7 the things which must shortly come to pass." For, behold‡‡‡, I will come quickly: happy is he who keepeth the words 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 who shewed me these 9 things. Then he saith unto me, "See thou do it not: I * Or, and the glory and the honour of the nations shall be brought into it. N. m. + Gr. any thing that is common. no curse any more, N. the angel shewed, N. See ver. 6. Or, night shall be no more. See Griesbach. # Gr. ages of ages. ** Or, will shine upon them. See Griesbach. the angel said, N. ¶ of the holy prophets, R. T. ‡‡‡ behold, saith Jesus. These words, and the angel, ver. 6, are added by the Primate, but without any authority from the text. |
