CH

A

P.

IV.

FTER this, I look

'Α

ed, and behold,

a

=

I

door was open in heaven
and the firft voice which
heard, was as it were of a
trumpet talking with me
which faid, Come up hither,
and I will fhow thee things
which must be hereafter.

2 And immediately I was
in the fpirit: and behold, a
throne was fet in heaven,
and one fat on the throne.

3 And he that fat was to look upon like a jafper, and a fardine ftone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in fight like

to an emerald.

un

midft of the throne, and round about the throne were four beafts full of eyes before and behind.

4 And, round about the throne were four and twen

7 And the first beast was like a lion, and the second beaft like a calf, and the third beaft had the face of a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle.

8 And the four beafts had each of them fix wings about him, and they were full of eyes within; and they rest not day and night, faying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God almighty, which was, and is, and is to come.

9 And when those beafts give glory, and honour, and thanks to him that fat on the

I faw four and twenty el.
ders fitting cloathed in white
raiment; and they had on

ty feats: and upon the feats throne, who liveth for ever

their heads crowns
5 And out of the

of gold.
throne
and

proceeded lightnings,

thandrings, and voices: and

and ever.

10 The four and twenty elders fall down before him that fat on the throne, and worship him that liveth for ever and ever, and caft their crowns before the throne,

11 Thou art worthy, O

there were feven lamps of fire saying,
which are the feven fpirits Lord, to receive glory and

burning before the

of God.

6 And before the

throne,

throne

{lafs. like

there was a fea of

unto crystal: And

After this vifion

other vifions fucceed

after,'

ver.

1. The

fcenery is drawn in

in

the

honour, and power: for thou haft created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created.

relating to the things which are,'

the things which must be herecene is laid in heaven; and the

allufion to Numb. i. ii. the incamp

ment

ment of the children of Ifrael in the wilderness. God is represented, ver. 2, 3. fitting on his throne, as in the tabernacle or temple, much in the fame manner as the prophet Ezekiel, i. 26, 27, 28. hath defcribed him. Next to the tabernacle encamped the priests and Levites; and next to the throne, ver. 4. 'were four and twenty elders fitting,' anfwering to the princes of the four and twenty courfes of the Jewish priests; clothed in white raiment,' as emblems of their purity and fanctity; and they had on their heads crowns of gold,' Christ having made them, 1 Pet. ii. 9. a royal priesthood,' and Rev. 10. kings and priefts unto God. Out of the throne proceeded, ver. 5. lightnings, and thunderings, and voices,' the ufual concomitants and attendants of the divine prefence: • and there were feven lamps of fire burning before the throne,' anfwering to the golden candlestick with feven lamps, which was before the most holy place in the tabernacle. Before the throne there was alfo, ver. 6. ' a sea of glafs, like unto chryftal,' anfwering to the great molten fea or laver in the temple of Solomon: and in the midst of the throne, and round about the throne,' that is before and behind the throne, and on each fide of the throne, were four beasts or rather four living creatures, (wa) reprefenting the heads of the whole congregation in the four quarters of the world, and resembling the Cherubim and Seraphim in Ezekiel's and Ifaiah's vifions, Ezek. i. 10. x. 14. If. vi. 2, 3. or rather refembling the four ftandards or enfigns of the four divifions in the camp of Ifrael, according to the traditionary defcription of them by Jewish writers. The first living creature was like a lion,' ver. 7. which was the ftandard of Judah with the two other tribes in the eastern divifion; and the fecond like a calf or ox,' which was the ftandard of Ephraim with the two other tribes in the western divifion; and the third had a face as a man,' which was the standard of Reuben with the two other tribes in the fouthern divifion; and the fourth was like a flying eagle,' which was the ftandard of Dan with the two other tribes in the northern division: and this traditionary defcription agrees alfo with the four faces of the Cherub in Ezekiel's vifions. Of P 2 thefe

6

Majorcs noftri dixerunt, &c. See Aben Ezra and others quoted by Mr Mcde, p. 437.

thefe living creatures and of the elders the conftänt employment, ver. 8-11. is to celebrate, in hymns of praise and thanksgiving, the great and wonderful works of creation and providence.

CHAP. V.

er, and riches, and wifdom, and ftrength, and honour, and glory, and bleding.

13 And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and fuch as are in the fea, and all that are in them, heard I, faying, Bleffing, and

honour, andglory, and pow er be unto him that fitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever.

14 And the four beafts faid, Amer. And the four and twenty elders fell down and worshipped him that li veth for ever and ever.

Future events are fuppofed by St John, as well as by. Daniel and other prophets, in a beautiful figure, to be regiftered in a book,' for the greater certainty of them. This book, ver. 1. is in the right hand of God,' to denote that as he alone directs the affairs of futurity, fo he alone is able to reveal them. This book, through the abundance of the matter, was written within and on the backfide;' as the roll of the book, which was fpread before Ezekiel, ii. 1c. was written within and without." It was alfo fealed, to fignify that the decrees of God are infcrutable, and fealed with feven feals,' referring to fo many fignal periods of prophecy. In thort we thould conceive of this book, that it was fuch an one as the ar cients ufed, a volume or roll of a book, or more properly a volume confifting of seven volumes, fo that the opering of one feal laid open the contents only of one volume. All creatures are challenged, ver, 2. to open the book,' and, to loofe the feals thereof.' But, ver. 3. no one (d) in heaveu, nor in earth, neither under the earth,' neither angels, nor men, nor departed fpirits, were any of them qualified to comprehend and communicate the fecret purposes of God... St John wept much,' ver. 4. at the fad disappointment: but who now is concerned or grieved, that he cannot understand thefe prophecies ? However he is comforted, ver. 5., with an affurance, that ftill there was one who had power and authority to reveal and accomplish the counfels of God. The Son of God, and he alone, was found worthy to be the great revealer and interpreter of his Father's oracles; ver. 6, &c. and he obtained this privilege by the merits of his fufferings P3

• So in Juvenal Sat. 1. 5.

6

-fummi plena jam margine libri,
Scriptus et in tergo, necdum finitus Oreftes.

and

174

and death.

and all

13, &c.

gloriou

Whereupon the whole church, ver. 8, &c. the angels, ver. 11, &c. and all creatures, ver. fing praises to God and to the Lamb for fuch s manifeftations of divine providence. All this is

by way of preface or introduction, to show the great dig

nity,
delivered.

I

importance, and excellence of the prophecies here

A

CHAP. VI.

ND I faw when the Lamb opened one of the feals, and Î heard as it were the noife of thunder, one of the four beafts, faying, Come, and fee.

As the feals are in order too.

to conquer.

2 And I faw, and behold, a white horse; and he that fat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.

opened in order, fo the events follow The firft feal or period, ver. 1, 2. is memorable for conqueft, and was proclaimed by the first of the four living creatures, who was like a lion, and had • And I faw, and behold, a white his ftation in the east. horfe; and he that fat on him had a bow, and a crown was given unto him, and he went forth conquering, and This firft period commenceth with Vefpafian and Titus, who from commanding P in the east were advanced to the empire; and Vefpafian for this reason was regarded, both by Romans and foreigners, as that great prince who was to come out of the east, and obtain dominion over the world. They went forth to conquer; for they made an entire conqueft of Judea, deftroying Jerufalem, and carried the Jews captive into all nations. As thefe prophecies were written a few years before the deftruction of Jerufalem, they properly begin with fome allufion to that memorable event; and a fhort. allufion was fufficient, our Saviour himself having inlarged fo much upon all the particulars. The bow, the white horse, and the crown are proper emblems of victory, triumph, and royalty; and the proclamation for conqueft

is

Hujus (Vitellii) tempore Vefpafianus in oriente principatum arripuit. Aurel. Victor. Edit. Cap. 8.

4 Tacit. Hift. Lib. I. p. 217. Edit. Lipfii. Sueton. in Vefp Cap. 4- Joseph, de Bell. Jud. Lib. 6. Cap. 5. Sect. 4. p. 1283. Edit. Hud.