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* THE GREEK OF THE APOCALYPSE IS PRINTED FROM THE TEXT OF GRIESBACH'S EDITION; REASONS FOR WHICH HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED IN THE INTRODUCTION. IN THE SECOND COLUMN IS THE NEW TRANSLATION. THE THIRD CONTAINS THE AUTHORIZED VERSION, PRINTED FROM OUR ENGLISH BIBLE.

THE

APOCALYPSE, &c.

ΑΠΟΚΑΛΥΨΙΣ Ιη

σε Χριςό, ἣν ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεὸς, δεῖξαι τοῖς δύλοις αὑτὸ δεῖ γενέσθαι ἐν τά χει· καὶ ἐσήμανεν, ἀποςείλας διὰ το ἀγέλει αὐτῷ τῷ δέλῳ αὑτῷ Ἰωάννη. 2 "Ος εμαρίύξησε τὸν

λόγον τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ τὴν μαρτυρίαν Ιησε Χρις, ὅσα εἶδε. 3 Μακάριο, ὁ ἀναι

vúsay, xj ai á

A

κάνουλες τες λόγες της προφητείας, και τηρῆνες τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ γεγραμμένα· ὁ γὰρ καιρὸς ἐγύς.

PART I.

SECTION I

The Title of the Book.

CHAP. i. VER. 1-3.

1 The Revelation of Jesus
Christ, which God
gave unto him, to
shew unto his ser-
vants things which must
come to pass in a short
time; and he signifi-
ed them, sending by
his angel unto his ser-
2 vant John; Who bare

record of the word of
God, and of the testi-
mony of Jesus Christ,
according to whatso-
ever things he saw.
3 Blessed is he who
readeth, and they who
hear the words of the
prophecy, and who.
keep the things which
are written therein;
for the time is near.

1 The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must

shortly come to pass; and he sent and signi fied it by his angel unto his servant John: 2 Who bare record of the word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3 Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophesy, and keep those words which are written therein: for the time is at hand.

SOME of the commentators have entirely disregarded, and some have but slightly noticed, the three first chapters of the Apocalypse. Upon these I have been induced to bestow a more than ordinary attention.

L 2

tion. They are replete with the same figurative language and symbols which pervade the whole book. And therefore it appeared to me a desirable object to ascertain the meaning of them, and to make the notes to these three chapters the basis of the interpretation, which is to be applied to the rest. And as these notes are constantly referred to in the progress of the work, the reader, it is hoped, will proceed patiently through this part, as being useful, and indeed essential, to the explication of the more interesting visions which follow.

This part of the annotations extends to a greater length than otherwise might be necessary; because the author, for his own satisfaction, was desirous to ascertain, how far the doctrines, images, sentiments, and language of the Apocalypse, are concordant with those of other Sacred Scriptures: and since Michaelis has founded his objections to the Apocalypse partly on this subject of inquiry, it seems proper to produce collections of this kind before the public.

THE three first verses, which compose this section, contain the title of the book. It is no necessary part of it. For the book is written in an epistolary form, and at the fourth verse begins with that form, as commonly used by the sacred writers; "John to the "seven Churches, &c." And such a title, announcing the contents of the book, may have been added after the times of Saint John, and by transcription may have passed into the text *. But there is no reason to

As certain additions, or subscriptions, at the end of many of the sacred epistles, are known to have done. See Michaelis's Introduct. to the N. T. ch. vii. sect. 10. xi. sect. 1. Also Paley's Hora Paulina, ch. xv.

suppose

suppose that in the instance before us, such has been the case. For nearly the whole of this title is found quoted by the ancient Fathers, by Dionysius of Alexandria, and by Origen *. Origen*. Add to this, that the greater part of it is to be found, expressed in the same words, in the body of the work. It is therefore of similar authority. And the subsequent notes will shew, that the expressions contained in it are concordant in their meaning and doctrine with other passages of sacred Scripture.

Ver. 1. The Revelation.] We have many revelations from our Lord Jesus Christ. This delivered to his servant John, is one of them. Not only on this account, but because the prepositive article is omitted in the Greek, it may seem most proper to express the word axonaλuis by "a revelation," and not "the αποκαλυψις "revelation," but it is not necessary to make this alteration. For, by long usage and acceptance in the Christian Church, it is now accounted the Revelation.

Ib. Which God gave unto him.] The scheme of the Christian revelation is mediatorial throughout. God giveth to the Son ‡, dispensing knowledge and favour through him.

Ib. IVhich must come to pass in a short time.] The same expression is seen to recur at the close of the book; and we may collect from it, that the events foretold in this prophecy begin to be fulfilled even from the time of its delivery, and are to follow in a rapid succession until the final consummation.

Euseb. Hist. Eccl, lib, vii. c. 25.

In

See ch. xxii. 6, 7.

John iii. 35. v. 19, 27. viii. 28, 38. xii. 15. xiv. 6, 10. Phil.

ii. 9.

§ Ch. xxii. 6.

Daniel,

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