XIV. We have had before us the terrible foes which the cause of Christ and His righteousness must encounter in the world. We have seen the subtle spirit of the Evil One defeated, yet plotting new methods of assault, and utilising the powers of the world, its sheer force and its culture, to crush hol... [ Continue Reading ]
THE CITADEL OF THE SAINTS AND THE SERVANTS OF THE LAMB. (1) AND I LOOKED... — Better, _And I saw, and behold, the Lamb_ (not “a Lamb:” it is _the_ Lamb, the true Lamb of God, against whom the wild beast wages savage and subtle war) _standing on the Mount Sion._ The Saviour, the Lamb, in whose blood... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I HEARD A VOICE... — Translate, _And I heard a voice out of the heaven._ The saints stand with their Lord, the Lamb, _on_ Mount Zion, and just as of old a voice came from heaven bearing witness to Christ, so round the abode of the saints heavenly voices are heard, full of majesty, terribleness,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY... — Translate, _And they_ (_i.e._, the heavenly harpers) _sing a new song_ (the words “as it were” ought, perhaps, to be omitted) _before the throne, and before the living creatures, and the elders_ (_i.e.,_ in the presence of God Himself, and creation, and the Church), _and no one was abl... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE ARE THEY... — The characteristics of the servants of the Lamb are given in this verse and the following. The first is _purity_: they are virgins. The expression can hardly be limited to the unmarried, as the 144,000 represent the wide society of the choice ones of God. They are those whose hea... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I SAW... — Better, _And I saw another angel flying in mid-heaven, having an everlasting gospel, to declare glad tidings over them that sit on the earth, and over every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people._ In view of the world the gospel is proclaimed; this is the good news that God loves... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING... — These words declare what ought to be the effect of the gospel. Those to whom it is preached are sitting inactive on the earth. They must be roused to fear God and give Him glory. They must not fear the powers of evil, the wild beasts, &c., or be afraid of their terror (1 Peter 3:14). The... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE FOLLOWED... — The gospel angel is followed by _the_ angel that proclaims the downfall of Babylon. Better, _And another, a second, angel followed, saying, Fallen, fallen is Babylon the great, who has given all the nations to drink of,_ &c. The second angel follows on the first: the doom of... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE THIRD ANGEL.. — Better, _And another angel, a third, followed them, saying in a loud voice, If any man worship the wild beast and his image, and a mark upon his forehead or upon his hand, he also himself shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mingled pure_ (in full strength, u... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR EVER AND EVER. — Or, _unto ages of ages._ The imagery of the smoke going up reminds us of the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah (Genesis 19:28; comp. Isaiah 34:10). _They have not rest by day and by night, who worship the wild beast,_ &c. Sin, which is first embraced as a delight, becomes soon an... [ Continue Reading ]
HERE IS THE PATIENCE... — Translate, _Here is the patience of the saints_ (not “here are they,” but) _who keep,_ &c. In this readiness to wait, to endure through much tribulation to the end, is the patience of the saints seen. There is a patient waiting for Christ shown by those who keep God’s comma... [ Continue Reading ]
(13)AND I HEARD A VOICE... — Translate, _And I heard a voice out of the heaven, saying, Write, Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from henceforth; Yea, saith the Spirit, in that they shall rest from their labours; for their works follow with them._ We are not told whose voice speaks, but it pr... [ Continue Reading ]
THE HARVEST. (14) AND I LOOKED... — Better, _And I saw, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one seated like to a son of man, having upon his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle._ There can be little doubt that Christ Himself is here intended: the “cloud” (Matthew 24:30; Acts... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ANOTHER ANGEL... — Translate, _And another angel came forth out of the temple,_ &c. It has been asked, “What harvest is this?” It is the gathering of the good seed, the full corn in the ear, into the celestial garner (Mark 4:26). The angel who announces that the harvest is ready comes forth from... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ANOTHER ANGEL... — Translate, _And another angel,... he who hath authority over the fire._ The two scenes — one in Revelation 6:9 (the souls crying beneath the altar), the other in Revelation 8:5 (the angel mingling incense with the prayers of the saints) — must be remembered. The angel who had... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE ANGEL... — The vine (_i.e.,_ the vintage of the vine), when gathered, is cast into _the winepress of the wrath of God, the great_ (_winepress_)_. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and there came forth blood out of the winepress as far as the bridles of the horses, from a thousa... [ Continue Reading ]