ἐπιάσθη τὸ θηρίον, καὶ ὁ μετ' αὐτῆ ψευδοπροφήτης : ποιήσεις τὰ σημεῖα ἐνώπιον αὐτῷ, ἐν οἷς ἐπλάνησε τὰς πα βόλας τὸ χάραμα τα θηρία, καὶ τὰς προσκυνώντας τῇ εἰκόνι αὐτῷ· ζώνες ἐβλήθησαν οι δύο εἰς τὴν λίμνην το pos The 21 ἐν τῷ θείω. Καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπεκλάνθησαν ἐν τῇ ῥομφαία το καθημένες ἐπὶ τὸ ἵππε, τῇ ἐξελθέσῃ ἐκ τῶ ςόμαία αυ τῷ, καὶ πάλα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχράσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτ τῶν. taken, and the false prophet who was with him, he who wrought the wonders before him, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast, and who worshipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brim21stone. And the remnant were slain by the sword of Him who sate upon the horse, which sword proceedeth from his mouth and all the birds were filled with their flesh. the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning 21with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse; which sword proceeded out of his mouth; and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. After the appearance of the Messiah and his armies, the armies of the worldly powers, under the beast, the false prophet, and the kings, who are mustered by the spirits of demons to the great battlef, come in view. But the conflict, for which so vast preparation had been made, is finished in an instant. The leaders, they who There is great propriety and sublimity, in this rapidity of victory. An inventor would probably have dwelt upon this conflict, and have described it in a variety of detail: but this is a victory in which the arm of Omnipotence is displayed; and of which it may be said without extravagance, Venit, vidit, vicit. during so many ages had abused their civil and ecclesiastical power, are taken, and consigned to that everlasting prison, to which such offenders were originally doomed. Their followers, both small and great, fall; and are utterly destroyed by the word of Godt. Thus, the kingdom of the beast and false prophet, of the civil and ecclesiastical power, administered so long and so abusively, comes to its end; and the kingdom of the Messiah, and of righteousness, is established. This is that happy period, the theme of many prophecies; which, being still future, it is presumptuous to explain particularly yet thus far we may generally and safely conclude, that as we have already seen the reign of the beast and false prophet, the mystery of iniquity, so exactly foretold, and the prophecy so wonderfully fulfilled;-tyranny, irreligion, hypocrisy, and immorality triumphant and oppressive, by the means of pretended commissions from heaven: so, this usurpation will be utterly destroyed; and pure Religion, and peace and happiness, succeed. "The wolf shall dwell with "the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the "kid;" &c. They shall not hurt or destroy in all "the holy mountain;-the earth shall be full of the 'knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the "sea §." Ch. xvii. 8. Matt. xxv. 41. + Ch.i. 16. Compare with the battle here represented Isaiah xxxiv. Jer. vii. 32, &c. Ezek. xxxix. 17, &c. Zeph. i. 7. See also Bishop Lowth de Sac. Poës. Heb. lec. xx. PART VII. SECTION III. The Dragon taken and confined. 1 Καὶ εἶδον ἄγελον καλαβαίνοντα ἐκ τῶ ἐρανᾶ, ἔχονία τὴν κλεῖν τῆς ἀβύσσω, καὶ ἅλυσιν μεγάλην ἐπὶ τὴν χεῖρα αὖ2 τῦ. Καὶ ἐκράτησε τὸν δράκοντα, τὸν ὄφιν τὸν ἀρχαῖον, ὅς ἐςι διάβολος καὶ σαλανᾶς, καὶ ἔδησεν αὐτὸν χίλια ἔτη. 3 Καὶ ἔβαλεν αὐτὸν εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον, και ἔκλεισεν, καὶ ἐσφρά γισεν ἐπάνω αὐτῷ, ἵνα μὴ πλανήσῃ τὰ ἔθνη ἔτι, ἄχει τελεσ θῇ τὰ χίλια ἔτη· καὶ CHAP. XX. VER. 1-3. 1 And I saw an angel hold on the dragon, μετὰ ταῦτα δεῖ αὐτ τὸν λυθῆναι μικρὸν deceive the nations no χρόνον. 1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit, and a great chain in 2 his hand: And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the devil and Satan, and bound him a thou3 sand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that, he must be loosed a little season. The removal of the beast and false prophet is followed by the decline of impiety and wickedness, and by the rapid growth of true Religion and Virtue. This is symbolically displayed. The dragon, that ancient foe of man, who, under the disguise of a serpent, had be guiled Eve; who had lent his throne, his authority and his arts, to the beast and the false prophet; to mislead the nations and their kings*; is taken and confined. His influence upon earth is wonderfully diminished. And this important object is accomplished by the same superior agency. For, though an angel is represented as binding satan, yet, whence has he the commission and the power? whence the key of the bottomless deep, but from him who alone is described, as having "the "keys of hell and of death t;" from him, who shutteth, and no man openeth? By his permission the bottomless deep had been opened §; by his power it is now closed and sealed. The author of all iniquity is confined in it, for a time; after which he is permitted to come forth again "for a season," and "to deceive the nations." But the beasts rise up no more. They are no longer the successful agents of satan. He is no longer permitted to employ this kind of civil and religious tyranny against true Religion, and the happiness of man. The blissful season, during which satan continues bounden, is called a thousand years. But of this more particularly, under the next section. See notes, ch. xii. + Ch. i. 18. § See note, ch. ix. 1. PART 4 Kai tidov Içóves, ἐκάθισαν ἐπ' αὐτὸς, 5 Οἱ δὲ λοιποὶ τῶν ἀναςάσει τῇ πρώ PART VII. SECTION IV. The Millennium. CHAP. XX. VER. 4-6. his 4 And I saw thrones, and they sate upon them and judgment was given unto them : and the souls of those who had been slain with the axe for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God; and whosoever had not worshipped the beast image, and had not received the mark upon their forehead and upon their hand: and they lived and reigned with Christ the thousand years: 5 But the rest of the dead did not live till the thousand years should be completed. nor This is the first resur 6 rection. Blessed and holy is he who hath a part in the first resurrection: over these, the second death hath no power: but they shall 4 And I saw thrones, and they sate upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, of and for the word God, and which had not worshipped the neither beast, his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand 5 years: But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first 6 resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God, and of Christ, and |
