hibition to worship angels, or any other being than God, is repeated in chapter xxii. 9, and, thus repeated, seems to contain a very strong injunction against that angel-worship in which a great part of the Christian world has been involved. Ib. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.] My office (says the angel) for which you honour me, is of the same kind with yours: I support the testimony of Jesus, by bringing prophecy from heaven; you and your fellow-servants perform the same duty on earth, supporting the same testimony, by preaching, confession, martyrdom, &c. ; even in the present instance, we are fellow-servants of the same Lord. I shew to thee the vision from Heaven; thou writest it for the use of those who inhabit the Earth. Let us both worship God, and God only. PART THE APOCALYPSE, &c. PART VII. SECTION I. The Lord descends to Battle and Victory. 11 ΚΑΙ εἶδον τὸν ἐρανὸν ἀνεῳγμένον, καὶ ἰδὲ ἵππΘ λευκὸς, καὶ ὁ καθήμενον ἐπ ̓ αὐτὸν, καλέμενα τιςὸς καὶ ἀληθινὸς, καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ κεί 12 ναι και πολεμεῖ. Οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτὸ [ὡς] φλόξ πυρός, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῷ διαδήματα πολλὰ· ἔχων ὄνομα γεγραμμένον, ὃ ἐδεὶς οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ αὐτός. 13 Καὶ περιβεβλη μένα ἱμάτιον βετ βαμμένον αἵματι κα καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῷ· Ὁ Λόγω το 14 Θεό Καὶ τὰ sexτεύματα ἐν τῷ ἐξανῷ ἠκολέθει αὐτῷ CHAP. XIX. VER. 11-18. 11 And I saw heaven opened, and lo! a white horse! and he who sate upon him, called Faithful and True; and in righte ousness doth he judge 12 and make war; his eyes [as] a flame of fire, and on his head many diadems, having a name written, which no one knoweth but 13 himself: And clothed with a garment dipped in blood and his name is called THE WORD OF GOD. 14 And the armies which were in heaven, followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine white linen [and pure]; ἐφ ̓ ἵπποις λευκοῖς, ἐνδεδυμένοι βύσσινον λευκὸν [καὶ καθαρόν]. 15 Καὶ ἐκ τῶ σόμαλα αὐτῷ ἐκπορεύεται ῥομφαία οξεία, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῇ παλάξῃ τὰ ἔθνη· καὶ αὐτὸς ποι μανεῖ αὐτὸς ἐν ῥάβ δω σιδηρᾷ καὶ αὐτ τὸς παλεῖ τὴν ληνὸν τα οἴνα τῷ θυμῷ [καὶ τῆς ὀργῆς τῶ Θεῖ τι] παντοκρά 16 τορα. Καὶ ἔχει ἐπὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν μηρὸν αὐτῷ όνομα γεγραμμένον Βασιλεὺς βασιλέων καὶ ΚύριΘ κυρίων. 17 Καὶ εἶδον ἵνα ἀργε λον ἐτῶτα ἐν τῷ ηλίῳ καὶ ἔκραξε φωνῇ μεγάλῃ, λέγων πᾶ σι τοῖς ὀρνέοις τοῖς πολωμένοις ἐν μεσα βανήματι Δεῦτε συν αχθηκε εἰς τὸ δεῖπ ναν τὸ μέγα τῷ Θεῖ 18 Ινα φάγηλε σάρκας βασιλέων, και σάρ και χιλιάςχων, και σάρκας ἰσχυρῶν, καὶ σάρκας ἵππων καὶ τῶν καθημένων ἐπ ̓ αὐτῶν, καὶ σάρκας πανίων, ἐλευθέρων το καὶ δέλων, καὶ μικρῶν καὶ μεγάλων. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with an iron rod: and he treadeth the press of the wine of the anger [and indignation] of the Almighty [God]. 16 And he hath upon his garment, and upon his thigh, a name written, KING OF KINGS, and LORD or LORDS! 17 And I saw one angel standing in the sun: and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds, which fly between heaven and earth; "Come, be ga"thered together to "the great supper of 18" God; That ye may "eat flesh of kings, "and flesh of com"manders, and flesh "of mighty men, and "flesh of horses, and "of those who ride 15 clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty 16 God. And he hath on his vesture, and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND 17 LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel standing in the sun: and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper 18 of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both small and great, We are now arrived at that signal and expected point of the prophecy, to which the preceding parts seem principally to tend, and in which they have their completion; the grand and decisive combat between the Christian and antichristian powers. Here the seven Seals, seven Trumpets, seven Vials, and all their accompanying warnings, unite. Heaven opens, and the white horse appears, Qualis ab incepto processerat ;-et sibi constat. He is the same white horse, whom we saw proceeding on his career of victory, in the early part of the vision; whose rider "went forth conquering, and for to con quer*." He has been pursuing his destined course, though not always equally in sight;-he now appears again in more splendid array. The Christian Church, again pure (Ev λEUXOS), sees her Messiah in person, leading her forces, and fighting her battles. "Faithful " and true" to his promises †, he now gives more manifest assistance to the cause of his Religion. And while he confounds and destroys his enemies, it is apparent, that "his judgments are righteous." He appears in this passage as a dreadful warrior; yet there is little new in the description; we acknowledge the same King of kings whom we have before seen in other parts of the prophecy. The epithets, elsewhere applied to the Messiah, * Ch. vi. 1. + Matt. xxviii. 20. Rev. i. 6; iii. 14. ✰ This title is attributed to the conquering Messiah, in ch. xvii. 14. The conquerors of the East had vainly usurped it. On a tombstone of Cyrus in the city of Pasargade was a Persic inscription ending with this Greek line, Ενθαδ ̓ Εγω κείμαι, Κυρος βασιλευς βασιλήων Strabo, lib. 15. p. 100. The Messiah, are here collected, and so arranged as to display his glory, his power, and his anger, terrible to his unrepentant foes. He leads his armies, the faithful and pure Christians, to assured victory; victory so decisive, that none of his enemies escape. The birds, who prey on flesh, are bidden to a banquet on their carcases t. The angel stationed in the sun, betokening the light and knowledge which shall then beam upon mankind, invites all the world to join true Religion, and partake the victory. The Asiatic monarchs followed the example; and medals also of Parthian kings, of Tigranes, of Pharnaces, &c., are found with the same title inscribed. Pinkerton on Medals, vol. i. p. 203. See ch. i. 14. 16; ii. 12. 17, 18. 27; iii. 7. 12. 14; xiv. 19, 20; xvii. 14; and the notes. Compare also Is. lix. lxv. 17. lxiii. 1, &c. * Ch. xii. 13. xix. 8. t Ezek. xxxix. 17, 18. PART VII. SECTION II. The Conflict, and the Victory over the Wild-beast and his False Prophet. |