Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 1

COMMENTARY

ON THE

REVELATION OF ST. JOHN

BY THE

REV. WILLIAM BRUCE

JAMES SPEIRS

36 BLOOMSBURY STREET, LONDON

1877

PREFACE.

A REVEREND friend, now in heaven, whose counsel and encouragement have greatly lightened my labors, was of opinion with me that the Revelation, which is peculiarly a book for the New Church, was less studied by New Church people than its great importance demands. We thought that if the substance of the Apocalypse Revealed and the Apocalypse Explained were cast in a somewhat different mold, and presented in on accommodated form, a book might be produced that would serve as an introduction to the perusal and study of these great works. The present volume is the result of an attempt to effect this object. It has been my aim to draw out the practical lessons of the various incidents of this mysterious book more directly than it was consistent with Swedenborgs purpose to do. I have also dwelt at greater length on the bright than on the dark side of the magnificent Vision of the Apocalyptic Seer, as unfolded by the Seer of the New Jerusalem, without, however, designedly leaving either the meaning obscure or the lessons uncertain of those parts which have been more briefly treated. The explanation of the address to the seven churches I owe to the late Rev. Samuel Noble, whose discourses on that subject have been placed at my disposal by the congregation of which he was the distinguished minister. I have only, in conclusion, to express my earnest desire that the work may in some measure serve the purpose which I have had in view in preparing it.

INTRODUCTION.

No part of the Sacred Scripture has been the subject of such deep and anxious study as the Book of Revelation, and none has received so many and such various interpretations. This may be accounted for by the nature of the book itself. At once prophetic and enigmatic, it gives the greatest stimulus to human curiosity, and affords the widest scope for human ingenuity. The variety and uncertainty of the expositions it has received arise from one cause; John has been to Christians what Moses was to the Jews, a veiled prophet. Moses put a veil over his face, that the children of Israel could not steadfastly look to the end of that which is abolished: but their minds were blinded: for until this day remaineth the same veil untaken away in the reading of the Old Testament; which veil is done away in Christ. But even unto this day, when Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart (2 Cor. iii. 13-16). That which was abolished, to the end of which the children of Israel could not steadfastly look, was the Israelitish dispensation. That which is abolished, to the end of which Christians cannot look, is the Christian dispensation. By the Christian dispensation, we do not of course mean Christianity. This will never end, but will continue to increase in strength and glory from generation to generation; but the first dispensation of the church passes away, to be succeeded by another and a better. As the Israelitish dispensation was abolished by the First Coming of Christ, the Christian dispensation is abolished by His Second Coming. Here is the grand mistake of Christians and of Christian commentators: they have been looking for the Coming of the Lord as the signal for the destruction of the world. The end of the age (aiwv) which our Lords disciples inquired after, and which He encouraged them to expect, has been converted by their successors into the end of the world. True, the Lords description of the end of the age of dispensation, and of His Second Coming, might lead the mere literalist to understand Him to predict the end of the material world. The sun is to be darkened, the moon is not to give her light, and the stars are to fall from heaven; and heaven and earth themselves are to pass away. But how is it that men who are supposed to be acquainted with the figurative language of Scripture, and who know that similar predictions had been previously fulfilled, have understood and continue to understand all this literally? It is because their minds were blinded; for until this day there remaineth the veil untaken away in the reading of the New Testament. This veil is done away in Christ--at His Second Coming. The event has given the interpretation. Its previous concealment was the Lords permission. No prophecy can be clearly understood before the time of its fulfillment. No church can look steadfastly to its own end. This is no cause of reproach. It is as necessary as it is natural. The Lord works out His own wise and beneficent ends in ways that are known only to Himself; and which we would only interfere with by knowing. The true interpretation of the book is now known, because the Second Coming of the Lord has already taken place. The event has explained the prediction, and thus revealed the mystery. The Second Coming of the Lord, as will be shown in the explanation of the book, is not a personal appearance in the clouds of our atmosphere, but a spiritual event, effected by the revelation of the spiritual sense of the Word, in which the Lord has made Himself visible to the minds of men, in the power and great glory of His own Divine Humanity. He comes to establish anew His kingdom upon earth. The first Christian dispensation is meant by the earth and the heaven that fled away from the face of Him that sat upon the throne; and the second Christian dispensation is meant by the new heaven and the new earth that John afterwards beheld. The New Jerusalem, which he saw coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, is the appropriate Scripture emblem of the New Church, as a dispensation of truth and love.

Commentators having been in error respecting the leading events of the prophecy; they could not but be mistaken regarding the nature of its subordinate parts. The Revelation has been generally supposed to give a continuous history of the church from its beginning. This, however, is a mistake. It describes the state of the church at the time of its end. But it describes the state of the church, as it appeared, not in the natural, but in the spiritual world. That part of the spiritual world in which the manifestations of its state took place is the middle region, or world of spirits, into which all souls enter, and where they remain, some for a shorter, some for a longer period, before they pass into heaven or hell. There, also, all judgment takes place. There, and not in the natural world, was set a great white throne; and there the dead, small and great, stood before Him wile sat upon it, and were judged every one according to his works. A general judgment takes place at the end of every general dispensation. Indeed, the general judgment brings the dispensation to an end. And when the dispensation is abolished, a new dispensation commences. All that is related in the Revelation previous to the judgment is descriptive of the preparation for it. And all that is related after the judgment is descriptive of the new order of things which succeeds, when the former things have passed away. This being the case, it is evident that no explanation of the vision of St. John could have been given, except by who was not only mentally enlightened to understand the Divine and spiritual subjects of which the Revelation treats, but whose spiritual sight was opened to behold the things which exist in the other life. Only by one thus qualified to reveal the secrets contained in the vision of St. John could the Apocalypse be laid open, as it now is in the writings of the Lords servant, Emanuel Swedenborg.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 2

THE REVELATION.

CHAPTER I.

1. THIS book is announced as The Revelation of Jesus Christ. The word here translated Revelation occurs, in its substantive and verbal form, in numerous instances in the New Testament, and is variously rendered: Revelation (Rom. ii. 5); manifestation (viii. 9); appearing (1 Peter i. 7); coming (1 Cor. i. 7); enlightening (Luke ii. 32). It literally means, to disclose what is hidden, to discover what is concealed. There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed (Luke xii. 2). It is therefore appropriately employed to express the manifestation of iniquity in the last days, and the revelation or appearing of the Lord at His Second Coming. The day of Christ shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed. For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of His mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of His coming (2 Thess. ii. 3, 7, 8). The Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven, with His mighty angels, in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God (i. 7, 8). But He who comes as a consuming fire to the wicked, comes as a refining fire to the righteous. To them it is said, that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ. Wherefore, gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ (1 Peter i. 7, 13). These passages show both the meaning and application of the word. The Revelation discloses or reveals the state of the church, or of religion, as it would be in the last days, when darkened by error and corrupted by evil, and the coming of the Lord to restore it.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 3

The Revelation of Jesus Christ first of all reveals Himself. Light is that which doth make manifest. But that which manifests all else manifests itself. This book completes and perfects the revealed Word of God, and it is eminently the Revelation of Jesus Christ, as the God and Savior of men, the Guilder and Maker of the city which hath twelve foundations--the last and best Dispensation of the Church on earth, the holy city New Jerusalem. The Gospel reveals Jesus chiefly as He appeared among men in His state of humiliation; the Apocalypse reveals Him as He appears among angels, and as by the eye of faith He is to be seen by men, in His state of exaltation. The Gospel therefore describes the Lord as manifested in the flesh, and to the church of His First Advent; the Apocalypse describes Him as manifested in the spirit, and to the church of His Second Advent.

This book is further announced as the Revelation of Jesus Christ which God gave unto Him. Though specified in this one instance, this mode of revelation is not peculiar to the Apocalypse, but is common to all the books which constitute The Word. All are the Revelation of Jesus Christ, and all were given unto Him by God. This does not imply that God and Jesus are two Persons. We cannot conceive of one Divine Person giving a revelation to another Divine Person in all respects equal with Himself. But when we understand God and Jesus to be the names of two distinct essentials of the Deity, the statement is intelligible and clear, and the truth it expresses is seen to be highly important and beautifully instructive. Jesus, as the Eternal Word or Wisdom of God, is the immediate Author of Revelation, as He is of Creation and Redemption. But besides the Divine Wisdom, there is another essential of the Deity, in which Revelation as well as Creation has its origin. That other essential is Divine Love. In all that the Almighty does His Love is the moving cause and His Wisdom is the efficient cause. The Love of God is that from which all things exist; the Wisdom of God is that by which all things exist.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 4

The revelation which God gave to Jesus was to show unto His servants things that must shortly come to pass. It appears from this that the prophecy was intended for the members of the Church, or rather for those of them who, amidst the general defection, should be found steadfast in the faith, serving the Lord in singleness of mind. According to the spiritual meaning of the term, the servants of the Lord are the faithful, or those who serve Him in faith. But as there is no faith without love, and no faith and love without works, faith that worketh by love is that which makes men the Lords true servants. Those are the servants to whom this revelation is immediately addressed. They only are interested in the subject of which it treats, and they only are capable of receiving the light which enables the mind to understand it. Unto the faithful servants of the Lord only can this revelation show the things which must shortly come to pass. The things revealed are those contained in the book which it is our aim to understand. It may be sufficient here to say, that these things relate to the Church, or the religious states of mankind, as the Lord foresaw them, and as this book reveals them. The Apocalypse presents events which were then future.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 5

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 6

The revelation did not come from Jesus Christ to the apostle directly: He sent and signified it by His angel unto His servant John. The heavenly messenger to the prophets of the Old Testament was called the angel of Jehovah; but he who came to the prophet of the New is called the angel of Jesus. Jesus and Jehovah are the same, with this only difference, that Jesus is Jehovah in His Divine Humanity; and the angel of Jesus and the angel of Jehovah are the same, with this difference, that the Church in heaven being, since the Incarnation, an image of the Lords glorious BodyHis Divine Humanity, is in greater power than before the Lord was manifested in the flesh; for in Christ are gathered into one all things, both which are is heaven and which are on earth (Eph. i. 10). As the angel who came to John represents the Church in heaven, John here represents the Church on earth. And this, the Divine message, came from the Lord through the Church in heaven to the Church on earth. Followed from its Source, through all the degrees of its descent, the revelation came from God to Jesus, from Jesus to the angel, from the angel to John, and from John to the servants of the Lord. It came from the Lords Divinity through His Humanity, from His Divine Love through His Divine Wisdom, and thence through Heaven and the Church; and thus it is the infinite Wisdom of infinite Love adapted to the apprehension both of angels and men. As John represents the Church on earth, he represents, abstractly, that which constitutes the Church. There are three principles which constitute the Church--love, faith, and words. These wore represented by the three disciples who were nearest to Jesus, and often accompanied Him, without the others, on important occasions, as at His transfiguration. Of these, Peter was the type of faith, James of love, and John of works--and as good works are love and faith in act, and therefore include both these graces, John represents religion as existing in its fullness and perfection in a life of love and faith. Practical religion is vital religion. Love is the fulfilling of the law, and the fulfilling of the law is love; for all true love terminates in action, and thus becomes actual love. He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me (John xiv. 21). Practical love is the last link in the chain which connects man savingly with his Maker.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 7

2. John, to whom this revelation came, says of himself that he bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. This may be better understood from what John has said in his Gospel. He there bears record, or witness, of the Word, which in the beginning was with God and was God, and which became manifest in the flesh. The Eternal Word, and that Word made flesh in Jesus Christ, is thus the Eternal Wisdom or Divine Truth, in its relation to Creation and Redemption. As John represented all whose inner life of love and faith is manifested in an outer life of holiness, his words are to be understood of those who bear witness to the Truth by the testimony of a holy life. These having the witness in themselves, they have set to their seal that God is true. They also have the testimony of Jesus Christ; for those who acknowledge the truth of the Lords Word, whether it be the whole of Revelation or this particular portion of it, have the testimony of Jesus Christ, since the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy--of this as of all prophecy, this testimony, which the true Church has, consists in this, that Jesus is the one only living and true God, the one Object of faith and worship. John also bears record of all things which he saw. These were the visions presented before him, which he has recorded. It is not necessary here to inquire into the nature of these visions. They were all symbolical, and describe states of the Church and of the human mind. John saw them, but those whom John represents understand them; for to see is to understand. They were written that they might be understood. It does not indeed follow that every one, or even every age, should fully understand them. Like other prophetic signs, they could not be understood till the time of their fulfillment, till the events themselves, of which they were the symbols, should give the means of interpretation. It is only because they are now fulfilled that they can now be explained and understood. Those whom John represents see spiritually what he saw in vision, or they see inwardly in themselves what he saw outwardly in the spiritual world.

3. After speaking of himself as the recipient of the revelation, John speaks of those to whom it is addressed and for whose use it is designed. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein. The importance of the prophecy is indicated by the greatness of the benefit which results from reading, hearing, and doing what it contains. Blessedness is spiritual and heavenly happiness, and this results from spiritual graces and a heavenly state of mind and life. Something more is needed for this than reading and hearing the contents of the book. We must read and hear spiritually. To read and hear spiritually is to receive the truths of the book into the understanding and the will.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 8

This makes the complete or perfect man, and a state which in itself is blessed or happy for ever. But where does our safety lie in reading and keeping the things written in this book, in which there is very little that men can either understand or keep? Two important things it not only contains but plainly teaches--the doctrine of the Lord and the doctrine of Life. It teaches the sole Divinity of Jesus Christ, and the absolute necessity of a life according to His Commandments. There are many other truths contained in the book, but they can only be known by the language and imagery in which they are veiled being spiritually understood. The prophecy having been revealed from heaven, it contains heavenly doctrine, and this, like all that revelation contains, is the doctrine of Truth and Goodness--the doctrine of truth to direct the mind, and the doctrine of goodness to guide the life.

A reason is given for revealing, and for the necessity of understanding, what the prophecy contains: for the time is at hand. We have seen that time means state, and shortly means certainly. To the Omniscient, with whom a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years are as one day, the shortest and longest periods are the same. So is it, in its degree, with all that proceeds from Him, and with all that relates to Him. Heaven and the church undergo changes of state; and when those are to be expressed by natural images, state is expressed by time, for time in the natural world is analogous to state in the spiritual. Nearness of time, in relation to the Church, means therefore imminence of state. The time being at hand does not mean that even the states of the Church, which are described in the Apocalypse, were imminent at the time the prophecy was written, but that these states were imminent at the time to which it applies. For we have seen that the prophecy is not, as many have supposed, descriptive of the successive states of the Church from its beginning, but of its simultaneous states at the time of its end.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 9

4, 5. After this exordium respecting the Authorship and object of the prophecy he was commissioned to deliver, the Seer turns to those whom he had been instructed to address. John to the seven churches which are in Asia. We have spoken of John as the receiver of the message, and as in that capacity representing the Church. He is now to be regarded as the deliverer of the message, and in the capacity of an ambassador he represents the Lord. John must be regarded as now employed on a most solemn and important mission. But, like each of the apostles, John had something distinctive in his representative character. As he represented the church, so does he represent the Lord. But John comes before us in this instance also as a Seer and Teacher, and as such signifies one who teaches the doctrine of truth from the principle of love, which has goodness for its end.

Johns message is to the seven churches which are in Asia. The message can hardly be supposed to have been intended for the seven congregations in the seven churches in Asia Minor, to whom they are nominally addressed, or that their members were the only persons for whom this prophecy was intended. They may have understood something of the descriptions of their own states, of the admonitions, threatenings, and promises addressed to them. But these congregations have long ceased to exist, and it cannot be conceived that a prophecy, many parts of which they could not understand and did not see fulfilled, can have been intended exclusively or even principally for them. The seven churches of Asia, like all else in the book, are symbolical. The seven churches on earth, and the seven spirits in heaven, are the counterparts of each other, the seven churches representing the whole Church on earth, and the seven spirits around the throne representing the entire Church in heaven, as well as the Spirit of the Lord, which pervades and sustains it.

Seven is generally recognized to be a mystical and holy number. Its meaning may be learnt from the first mention of it in Scripture. God is said to have completed the work of creation in six days, and to have rested on the seventh, which thence was sanctified (Gen. ii. 3).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 10

The seven churches are places in Asia, which is but one quarter of the globe, and which, if understood literally, would limit the application of the prophecy; for the Church has gradually, and has now almost entirely, passed from Asia to Europe, and to those parts of the globe peopled by Europeans. But Asia is introduced in the principle of symbolism. Asia is the cradle of the human race, and the soil of every church which has existed in the world: the Christian Church itself, though it has almost died out of it, had its birth there. Asia, too, is the Orient whence proceeded the light of civilization, the region whence the Western world derived the beginning at least of its science as well as its religion. It therefore spiritually signifies the light of truth from the Word. Thus understood, the seven churches in Asia are the whole Church of Christ, not as it exists in any particular place, but as characterized by a particular state. The Church is only entitled to the name of the Church in virtue of the principles which constitute religion: for only where there is religion is there a church. The Church may have an outward or seeming existence, and may even appear in great splendor and power, after true and vital religion has departed from it. But where there is no true and vital religion, there is no true and living church, however much of the form and the name may remain.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 11

Like all other spiritual blessings, grace and peace become ours, not simply by being dispensed to us, but by being wrought in us. The Lord is ever gracious, and He is the Prince of peace. His grace we receive in faith, His peace we receive in love. Not for believing and for loving, but in believing and in loving, do we actually receive the Divine salutation, Grace be unto you, and peace. This salutation to the churches is from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before His throne, and from Jesus Christ. In the literal sense it appears as if the Eternal and Jesus were two different beings, and the seven spirits different from both. This can be understood as a representative appearance only, for in the fifth chapter the Lamb is seen in the midst of the throne. These different appearances are different aspects of the same truth, as it presents itself to the Church in heaven and on earth in their different states. Yet there is this relation and correspondence between them. What in the literal sense appears as separation, is seen in the spiritual sense as distinction. The Eternal and Jesus, God and the lamb, the Father and Son, are not separate, but they are distinct. They are two, but such a two as are the soul and body of a living man; they are two distinct Essentials, but one Person. He who is, and was, and is to come, is the Lords eternal Divinity, and Jesus Christ is His Divine Humanity; the seven spirits are His Holy Spirit, represented as seven spirits, in reference to the seven churches, and to the diversity of gifts which are of the same Spirit (1 Cor. xii. 4).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 12

The distinction between the Eternal and Jesus Christ being that of Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, or of the Essential Divinity and the Divine Humanity, Jesus, as the Divine Wisdom and the Divine Humanity, is called the faithful Witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Jesus is the Faithful Witness, as being Wisdom or Truth itself. He is the first-begotten of the dead, as being Love or Goodness itself; and He is the Prince of the kings of the earth, as being the Author of all truth and government in the Church. These characters of the Lord have an intimate relation to each other. When the Lord had made His Humanity Divine Truth, He became the Faithful Witness, and when He made His Humanity Divine Good He became the first-begotten from the dead; and when He had thus made His Humanity Truth itself and Goodness itself, He became the Head of the Church, which He governs by the truths of His Word.

5, 6. After the salutation of peace, John offers, on behalf of the Church, an ascription of praise to Him in whose name he had saluted her. Unto Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and His Father; to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. It is a great and blessed truth, proclaimed throughout the Scriptures, that the Lords love was the origin of our redemption. God so loved the world. This is the assigned cause of the Lords coming and redemption. So great was His love, that He laid down His life for us. Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for His friends (John xv. 13). But God commendeth His love towards us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Rom. v. 8). And He died that He might wash us from our sins in His own blood. There is great efficacy in the blood of Jesus. We have redemption through His blood (Eph. i. 7), we are justified through His blood (Rom. v. 9), are sanctified through His blood (Heb. ix. 13), have our conscience purged from dead works by His blood (Heb. v. 14), and have peace and reconciliation through the blood of His cross (Col. i. 20, 21).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 13

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 14

The kingdom of the Lord is twofold. He has a kingdom in heaven and a kingdom on earth, or a Church in heaven and a Church on earth. His kingdom in the human mind is also twofold. He has an altar in the human heart, and a throne in the human understanding. In the heart He rules by love, in the understanding He rules by truth. This distinction exists also in heaven and in the church. Some of their members are more under the rule of love, some are more under the rule of truth. It is in reference to these two distinct kingdoms in heaven, in the church, and in the regenerate mind, that the Lord is a Priest and a King. His priesthood is the government of His love, His royalty is the government of His truth.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 15

7. After thus ascribing glory and dominion to Jesus Christ, John proceeds to say, Behold, He cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so, Amen. The prophecy properly begins here. And the one grand subject of it is here announced--THE SECOND COMING OF THE LORD. Behold, He cometh! This is the burden of the Apocalypse. All other events are but its precursors and its consequences. The coming of the Lord is to be preceded by a falling away, and to be followed by a restitution.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 16

Many reasons might be assigned for the Lords Second Coming being an impersonal one. His First Advent was necessarily personal. By no other means than the manifestation of God in the flesh could the redemption of the world be effected.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 17

Nor is it the Lords personal but His spiritual presence that the Church and the world require. So far as regards space and place, the Lord is as much present with all men as if they saw and heard Him with their outward senses. It is not His presence before our eyes, but His presence in our hearts and intellects, that can give us light and love, and joy and peace. This is the Lords Coming that is predicted in the Scripture: not a coming to us, but a coming into us; a revealing of His truth to our inner sight, making Him an object of inward perception, not of outward observation. When demanded of the Pharisees as to when the kingdom of God should come, Jesus answered, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall ye say, Lo here! or Lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke xvii. 20). May this not be said as truly of the King as of His kingdom? And indeed the Lord has said as much respecting Himself. Speaking of the time of the end, He says, Then, if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not.... For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west, so shall the coming of the Son of Man be (Matt. xxiv. 27). Not only with the rapidity, but with the illuminating power of the lightning, does the Lord come. Consistently with this the Lord cometh with clouds, from which the lightning proceeds. The clouds with which the Lord comes are not those of the outer but of inner world. The earth to which the Lord comes is a symbol of the Church; the clouds in which He comes must symbolize something relating to the Church. As the earth is a figure of the Church, the sun, from which the earth derives its heat and light, is a figure of the Lord, as the Sun of Righteousness. What are the clouds that are drawn up by this Sun from its earth, and float in its atmosphere; that form reservoirs for the rain that descends in fruitful and refreshing showers; that treasure up the lightning and the thunder; that temper the suns rays, that they scorch not but warm, and weaken not but invigorate?

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 18

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 19

In the natural world the Lord makes His Second Coming as truly as in the world of spirits, but here He does not come outwardly and appear visibly to the senses of mens bodies, but comes inwardly and perceptibly to the faculties of their minds. How then does He come? He comes as He only can come, by revealing Himself in the Scriptures of truth. But it may be said, We have the Scriptures always with us. What new coming can the Lord make to us in them or by them? True, we have the Scriptures always with us; but the Lord is only present with us in and by the Scriptures so far as we understand them. If the Church loses the true understanding of the Scriptures, she loses the true and saving presence of the Lord. This the Jewish church had done before the coming of the Lord in the flesh, and this has necessitated His coming, to bring the Jewish church to an end, and to establish the Christian Church in its place. The Christian Church has also lost the true understanding of the Word, and this has necessitated the Lords coming in the spirit, to end the first Christian Dispensation and to establish the second, which is predicted in this book under the figure and name of the New Jerusalem. But the Lord, while in the world, not only restored the true understanding of the Scriptures, but showed them to have a deeper meaning than the Jewish church had ever known them to contain. So at His Second Coming the Lord has not only re-established the Church on its original foundation of the prophets and apostles, or on the truth as they taught it, but He has opened up and displayed hidden glories in His Word, which in their time could neither be revealed nor understood.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 20

Those who pierce Jesus are those who crucify Him the second timein more explicit terms, those who falsify His truth. In the natural sense those who pierced the Lord are included in the universal race who were to behold the Lord at His coming in the clouds. But in the spiritual sense there is a marked distinction. Every eye relates to those who see and acknowledge Him, those who pierced Him are those who see but do not acknowledge Him. It might seem inconsistent to suppose that such persons can be said in any sense to see Jesus at all intellectually. Yet it is evident that they must have been in the number of those who saw Jesus, otherwise they could not have pierced Him. Those who falsify, and oven those who altogether deny the truth, must know it in a certain manner. It is remarkable how studious of the Word, and how intelligent in a certain sense respecting it, some of those have been who have striven most to undermine its authority or allow it undeserving of credit, or who have so explained it as to deprive it of its true meaning and power. Paulus and Strauss have studied the Scriptures more carefully and minutely than many eminent orthodox expositors, and have brought great scholarship and intelligence to their task; and yet their object has teen to show that the Word has no claim to divinity of character or origin. These and others of such an intellectual quality see Jesus indeed, but they do not discern His true character. They deny it. They pierce Him. All their elaborate efforts are directed to the destruction of the truth, not by open denial, but by ingenious subversions of its real meaning and teaching, especially respecting Jesus.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 21

Besides these two there is another class who are affected by the Lords Coming. And all kindreds (or rather tribes) of the earth shall wail because of Him. Those already spoken of are such as are more especially of an intellectual character, for they are spoken of as seeing the Lord: these, of whom we have now to speak, are such as regard Him more from the moral side of their character; who feel as well as see the events that are passing before them. All those who are included in these classes are to be understood as comprising the professed members of the Church, which is meant by the earth. The children of Israel were divided into tribes, which represented all who are in truth derived from good, or in faith from charity, and who therefore constitute the Church. But here the tribes belong to the desolated Church, and have shared in the general, and especially in the moral desolation. They therefore wail or lament because of Him. The appearing of the Son of Man gives them no comfort, but fills them with lamentation. The unfaithful and the evil are often described as being afflicted and tormented by the Lords presence. Not that He desires to afflict or torment them, but the contrariety between Him and them does so--their opposition to His purity and love and light brings their minds into a state of agonized feeling, produced by an influence in its nature and tendency the opposite of their own will and wisdom, affections and thoughts. There is a more interior view that may be taken of this subject. Abstractly, the tribes of the earth signify the principles themselves that constitute the Church,--the principles of goodness and truth, or love and faith; and the wailing of them, like the weeping of Rachel for her children because they were not, describes the lamentation of the truth and love of the Church, that they have no longer a dwelling-place where once they had a quiet habitation. Such is the state of the Church, as Divine Truth saw it would be at the time of the end, when the coming of the Lord would take place. And as this was foreseen as an event that would surely come, the solemn conclusion is stated: Even so, Amen. These words express certainty. The things must surely come to pass. The Truth has declared it with the certainty of omniscience.

8. After this description of the end of the Church, or of all that truly constitutes it, there comes the announcement of a new beginning, or of Him who is Himself the Beginning as well as the Ending of all that is good and true. I am Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the Ending, saith the Lord, which is, and which was, and which is to come, the Almighty.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 22

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 23

9. Speaking in his own person the Seer now says, I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the isle that is called Patmos, for the word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. John, addressing the members of the Church, calls himself their brother and companion. Religiously considered, brothers are those who are united by love, and companions are those who are connected by faith; or, what is the same, brothers are united by Good and companions by truth. But he also claims kindred with them in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ. To understand the spiritual import of what John here says respecting himself, it may be necessary to advert to the historical circumstances of the case. The beloved apostle is understood to have been banished to Patmos for preaching the Word of God and bearing testimony to Jesus Christ: he could therefore feelingly address the members of the persecuted and suffering church as their brother and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 24

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 25

10, 11. John proceeds to give the testimony of Jesus he had received in Patmos; and we shall see how clearly and fully it confirms the doctrine of the Lord, which we have stated as that of this mysterious book, as it is of the whole Sacred Scriptures. I was in the spirit on the Lords day, and heard behind me a great voice, as a trumpet, saying, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last: and, What thou seest, write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia. The state in which John was, when he beheld the visions he has recorded, is one of great interest to us, since the knowledge of its nature gives us some insight into the nature of the visions that were presented before him. To be in the spirit is to he in such a state as enables one to see spiritual objects with spiritual eyes, or to see the objects of the spiritual world as angels and spirits see them. John and the ancient seers are supposed by some to have been ecstatics, men entranced, in which state ideas are pictured to the imagination under ideal forms, as they are in dreams. The view we have presented is much simpler and more real. To realize the true idea of a seer we have only to think of the soul seeing without the intervention of the body. We must also, it is true, think of the soul and the spiritual world as substantial and not shadowy, and as being near to each other both which conditions are conceivable.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 26

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 27

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 28

11. The voice which John heard behind him said, I am Alpha and Omega, the First and the last: and, What thou seest write in a book, and send it unto the seven churches which are in Asia: unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. The first portion of this has already been considered, and the latter part will be dwelt upon when we come to treat of the Lords messages to these seven churches. The general meaning of this address may be readily perceived. The Lord, as the Alpha and the Omega of all the states and things of heaven and the church, commands us to write in the book of the inner life all that He shall reveal to us respecting the state of the church in ourselves. For this book is a revelation to every one of what is within himself, nod not merely of what relates to the world or to the Church in general.

12. Hearing it behind him, John says, And I turned to see the voice that spake with me. And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks. John turns to see the voice which he had heard. We have seen that the Divine influx enters into the affections and then into the thoughts, or into the will and thence into the understanding. In the will the voice is heard, in the understanding it is seen. But in order to see with our eyes the voice which we have heard with our cam, we must turn ourselves--who must turn to the Lord. Yet, strictly speaking, the Lord turns us to Himself; and He so turns all who hear His voice behind,--who receive His Divine influence into the will and affections. This turning to see is necessary to the complete perception of the Lord and His love and truth. The impressions that are made on the will are general, those made upon the understanding are particular. Job expressed the sense of completed joy arising from the perception of the Divine Being when he said, I have heard of Thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth Thee. When John had turned he saw seven golden candlesticks. These seven candlesticks represented the church in heaven and on earth. This church was not that which then existed on earth, but that which was to succeed it. The church as it then was and was becoming is represented by the seven churches of Asia, which are described as being, with one exception, in a state of greater or less corruption. These seven candlesticks represent the church in this sense, that the church is a recipient of light, but possesses no light of its own, or in itself. The Lord is the light of it. These candlesticks are said to be of gold, for gold is an emblem of love or goodness; and only those who are in the good of love to the Lord constitute the church, and they only can receive illumination, and become burning and shining lights.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 29

13. Therefore there was in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. The sublime description which the revelator now gives of the Lord, as the author and sustainer of heaven and the Church, is calculated to give the very highest conception of which the finite mind is capable of the transcendent greatness and glory of the Son of Man; of Him who on earth was a man of sorrows, and had not where to lay His head; but who now is highly exalted, and hath a name above every name, a name at which every knee should bow, of things in heaven and things on earth. Jesus is seen in the midst of the candlesticks, as being the central luminary, from which the Church derives all its light and life and glory. He whom John saw is said to have been one like the Son of Man. Notwithstanding the glory in which He appeared, John saw in Him that same Jesus whom he had so often beheld upon earth. It was the same Lord whom he loved, clothed in humanity, but glorified above all finite glory. Still He was like the Son of Man. Jesus is the same visible and approachable Being that He was on earth; glorified, but still human; the Eternal God, but God-Man. But the Lord is the Son of Man in another respect, yet not another. He is the Son of Man as the Word, or Divine Truth. But in this He is the same: for as in Him the Word was made flesh, in Him also flesh was made the Word, and is now the Word in its ultimate form and manifestation. By the flesh we are to understand human nature; and the human nature which the Lord, as the Eternal Word, assumed became Divine, and is therefore one with the Eternal Word, as the body is one with the soul. But the description of the Lord Himself as the Word, is equally applicable to the written Word. The written Word is the Eternal Word written,--the same Word expressed in human language that was manifested in human nature. The Lord when in the world fulfilled the whole Word, and by doing so became the Word in ultimates; so that all which the Word contains the Lord is. It is necessary to see this connection, or rather identity, of the incarnate and written Word, in order to understand the appearance of the Son of Man, as He stood in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. For while it is true that the Lord Himself is the center of life and the source of light to heaven and the Church, yet life and light come through the revealed Word, in the inmost of which the Lord is, and by which He communicates all spiritual blessings to His people.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 30

The Son of Man was clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. When the Lord is represented, before His incarnation and after His glorification, as being clothed, His garments must be intended to convey to our minds the idea of something Divine in relation to His Person. The garments of the saints, we are told, are their righteousness. The garments of the Son of Man are His Righteousness. Righteousness is but another name for truth brought into practice. When we live according to the laws of righteousness revealed in the Word, we are clothed in the fine linen which is the righteousness of saints. The garments of the Lord are His Righteousness. If we apply this to the written Word, which is the Lord revealed, what can the garments be, with which it is clothed, but the outward literal sense, which forms the vesture of its inward Divine truth, and which presents it in a state accommodated to angels and men? In the literal sense of the Word are especially contained the laws of righteousness and moral precepts by which the Christian life is formed. This, then, is the garment with which the Son of Man was clothed. The Word, like the Lord Himself as He appeared to John, is partly clothed and partly uncovered. The literal or natural sense of the Word consists partly of genuine, partly of apparent truths. Its genuine truths, which describe God as Ho is, are as the face and hands and feet; that are uncovered; and its apparent truths, which describe God as our feeble thoughts have clothed Him, are the garment that invests the Son of Man down to the foot. The Lord, the Divine Man, as He appears to the Grand Man, which is the Lords mystical body, is seen in this double aspect; for in all the three heavens He, as to His truth, is soon partly clothed and partly unclothed,--in the celestial heaven as to face and head, in the spiritual heaven as to the body and hands, in the spiritual and celestial-natural heaven as to the legs and feet.

While clothed with a garment, the Son of Man was girt about the papa with a golden girdle. The girdle was used in old times for confining the loose garment that was worn as a common covering over the vesture or inner garment: and as the Son of Man was clothed with this garment, He wore also the girdle that belonged to it. Regarding the Lord as the Word, the girdle is that which forms the bond of connection between, or which binds in one, the natural and spiritual truths of the Word.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 31

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 32

14, 15. In his description of the Son of Man, John proceeds to say, His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire, and His feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and His voice as the sound of many waters. The magnificent appearances under which the Lord presented Himself to His servant are all correspondences, each therefore having a distinct meaning, and all having reference to Him as the Word, in His relation to heaven and the Church. The head is the highest or inmost, the feet are the lowest or outermost, principles of goodness and truth in the Word. The Lords head is His Divine Love and Wisdom in first principles, and His hair is His Divine Love and Wisdom in ultimates. His eyes are His Divine Wisdom in its circumspection and providence. His feet are the Divine Love and Wisdom in that degree which may be called natural. His head is His Divine celestial principle, His eyes His Divine spiritual, and His feet His Divine natural. Regarding the Lord as the Word, His Divine Truth, as accommodated to the angels of the three heavens, is described by the Lords appearance: His head, as it appears in the inmost or celestial heaven, His eyes, as it appears in the middle or spiritual heaven, and His feet, as it appears in the lowest or ultimate heaven. Under this is the Church on earth; for the earth is His footstool, as heaven is His throne. Whether we regard this representative description of the Son of Man as applicable to the Lord Himself, to His Word, or to His kingdom, it is equally instructive, and shows the harmony of the whole. The Lord produces the Word, and the Word produces heaven, and heaven produces the Church. Strictly speaking, the Lord produces the Word, through the Word heaven, and through heaven the Church. There are therefore a harmony and correspondence between them, so that that which describes one in its measure describes all. But the description of the Son of Man is given with particulars which we have yet to notice. His head and His hairs were white like wool, as white as snow. The head and hair are both mentioned as being white. Whiteness is emblematical of purity. And as the head and the hair are expressive of the Word in first principles and ultimates, in its spiritual and literal sense, their whiteness indicates that the Word in both is pure truth--truth without error, truth without evil. This is still more clearly taught by the hair being white like wool and snow. The Word in its literal sense contains lessons of love and lessons of wisdom, of goodness and of truth, and therefore leads the mind both to charity and faith.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 33

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 34

16. The description of John discloses still more of the majesty and glory of the Son of Man. And He had in His right hand seen stars; and out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword; and His countenance was as the sun shineth in His strength. All these are afterwards explained, or rather applied; for all explanations in the Word being portions of the letter of Scripture, contain a spiritual sense equally with the parts explained. The seven candlesticks are the seven churches, the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and the seven spirits are the seven eyes of the Lamb. These will be considered under the respective heads. At present it is sufficient to any that stars signify Divine Truths, as they proceed from the Lord to the Church. The seven stars are all the holy truths which are revealed in the Word for the instruction and direction of the Church. They are said to be in the right hand of the Son of Man; for Divine Truth is that by which the Divine Power is operative in the Church. The truth which is meant by stars is that which comes to the Church as knowledge; and the highest of all knowledge is that which relates to the Lord Himself in His Humanity. This knowledge is power; for the knowledge of Jesus as the Savior of the world, is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believes. Saving faith has, however, its origin in love, as saving truth has its origin in goodness,--the stars were in the right hand of the Son of Man. In the Word sun, moon, and stars are often mentioned together. Their creation at the beginning of the world, and their extinction at the end of the world are distinctly stated. But as the Word treats of the beginning and end of the Church under the figure of the creation find destruction of the world, the luminaries of heaven have a corresponding difference of meaning. The sun, moon, and stars are the emblems of love, faith, and knowledge. These are the luminaries of the Church, the delegated sources of its life and light. While these hold on to burn, the Church continues to know her signs and seasons, her days and years; and her seed-time and harvest, and summer and winter, and day and night, fail not to return with beneficial regularity.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 35

In reading Johns account of the appearance of the Son of Man, one cannot fail to be struck with the resemblance it bears to the appearance of Jehovah, as described by several of the sacred writers. Moses and seventy of the elders saw the God of Israel; and there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in His clearness (Ex. xxiv. 10). Still more minute is the description of the appearance granted to Ezekiel. Above the firmament was the likeness of a throne; and upon the throne the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as the color of amber, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins even upward, and from the appearance of his loins even downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. And when I saw it, I fell on my face, and I heard the voice of one that spake (i. 26).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 36

17, 18. It is not therefore to be wondered at that, as Ezekiel fell on his face when he beheld the vision of Jehovah, John should fall prostrate and powerless before the vision of Jesus. And when I saw Him I fell at His feet as dead. The only difference is, that the humiliation of the Christian prophet was still more profound than that of the Jewish, indicating the more completely overwhelming glory of the Object he was privileged to behold. A glimpse of this glory he had beheld on the mount of transfiguration; but the glory which was then transient had now become permanent, for the glorification of the Son of Man was now for over perfected. Compared with the humility of the Son of Man in which John had so long seen Him upon earth, the present glory was indeed transcendent. And no one who reads the account of it with any feeling of reverence can fail to recognize in Jesus the Infinite and Eternal. But viewing this sacred relation apart from doctrinal considerations, Johns falling down as dead at the feet of the Son of Man teaches us a great truth. The near presence of Him who is Life itself produces in the beholder a sense of the deprivation of life. Our life, it is true, is from God, and His presence is constantly with us. But this life passes from the Infinite to the finite through tempering mediums, as the suns heat and light pass through tempering atmospheres, etherial and aerial. And as the suns untempered rays would consume what they now nourish and adorn, so would the untempered rays of the Sun of Righteousness consume any one brought into immediate contact with Him whose countenance is as the sun shineth in his strength; for the Lord is indeed the Sun of the spiritual world. But the Lord is the origin of life as consisting of goodness and truth; and these also in men are accommodated to their feeble faculties by numerous mediums. Between the highest heaven and the Lord, who is far above all heavens, there are created spheres, through which the Divine influx passes before it can be consciously received by the highest angels there; and without these mediums the ardency of the Divine influence would consume them.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 37

But while an extraordinary and sudden elevation produces a sense of the deprivation of life, there is an ordinary and gradual elevation, which causes self-annihilation of another kind. The life of every one is his love; and as every one naturally loves himself and the world, the life of every one by nature is opposed to the Divine Life, which is Love in its purity, the essential nature of which is to love others, and to desire conjunction with them, that they may be happy for ever. When, in the progress of the regenerate life, the soul is elevated so far as to see and be sensible of the purity of the Divine Love, and the impurity of the natural human love, the result is, a profound sense of humiliation; which, though it may not be attended with the absolute death of the corrupt selfhood, gives at least a deep consciousness of the absolute deadness of all that is ones own, as compared with the Lords, either in Himself or in His creatures. This state is well described by Daniel when he saw the vision of the man, whose body was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass. And there remained, says Daniel, no strength in me: for my comeliness was turned in me into corruption (x. 6, 8). This is a state into which the Lord desires that every one should come, and into which every one whom John represents does come; for love to God can only be perfected by the annihilation of the love of self. Only those who thus die can be made alive. Only on those who thus fall down as dead at the feet of the Son of Man can He lay His right hand; and say to them, Fear not; I am the First and the Last; I am He that liveth and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death. The right hand of the Lord is His power, and His power is the omnipotence of Love and Wisdom, which is Life. The laying on of the hand is symbolical of the communication of power, or of what the power has to communicate.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 38

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 39

But as the Lord has been crucified afresh, He has also risen afresh; and, behold, He is alive for evermore. He has made His Second Advent; and the Church of His Second Advent will acknowledge Him in His true character, as Jehovah in His glorified Humanity.

In the individual application, this teaches us that in every one who undergoes regeneration, the Lord is dead before He is alive. In every natural man the truth is without life. When he is converted and becomes spiritual, the truth is made alive; and if he continues faithful, the truth in him is alive for evermore. And thus Jesus is to him Yea and Amen. Confirmed in love and life, he is a son and heir. And when his state is fixed, he is not only saved from condemnation, but he is preserved from temptation; for Jesus has the keys of hell and of death. By the great work of human redemption, the Lord acquired power over hell and spiritual death; but this power is only effective for salvation in those who accept the Lord as their Savior. And the Savior not only has the power of shutting the hell that is without us, but that also which is within us. For the natural mind of every unconverted and unregenerate man is a little hell, an image of the great. And unless the Lord receives power over the lesser, His power over the greater can do us no eternal benefit. Dead and in hell as every unconverted sinner is, he has this ground of possibility, and, if he desires it, of hope, that Jesus has the keys of hell and of death. No man can deliver himself from his naturally dead and infernal condition. It was because no man had the power of self-deliverance that the Lord came into the world to take that power unto Himself, a power which He has as Man, and therefore by virtue of His Incarnation. He can open, and no man shut; and shut, and no man open. He can unlock the doors of the mind which sin has closed, and allow the imprisoned desires and hopes of the penitent to come forth; and He can shut the doors, that they fall not back again unto death and perdition. The condition of every unregenerate soul is this: In every mind there are remains of goodness and truth, which have been insinuated in early life. In the unconverted these are covered over and concealed, and thus imprisoned by the evils of self-love and the love of the world; and when one turns to the Lord in faith and repentance, He opens the gates, and brings out into light and liberty the good affections and pure thoughts hitherto oppressed as bondmen and slaves.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 40

10. When John had beheld the sublime vision of the Son of Man and the objects around Him, he received the command, Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter; the mystery of the seven stars which thou savest in My right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. The command to write is simple enough in its natural sense. But it has a deeper meaning. Another book and another writing besides this revelation are preserved for futurity. Mans mind is a book, and his life is a scribe; and in that book are written in indelible characters the principles of good and truth, or evil and falsity, which the understanding has acknowledged, and the states which are and shall be formed from them hereafter, even to eternity. And now follows a general exposition of two of the things which John had seen. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven candlesticks are the seven churches. The angels are understood to mean the ministers of the churches. Thus understood, the ministers of these and all other churches, that have any just claim to the name, are like stars in the hand of the Son of Man; they derive their light and power from Him, they communicate to the Church the knowledge of the truth which they derive from the Word, and so far as they teach the truth from love, their word is with power. The Church, like the candlesticks, has no light of its own, but is merely a recipient of light from Him who stands in the midst. In a higher sense the stars are the Church in heaven, and the candlesticks the Church on earth. The seven stars are then expressive of the whole angelic heaven; and the angels of heaven are the angels of the churches; for the Church in heaven is in connection and communion with the Church on earth, and the angels are all ministering spirits. And while the Church in heaven gives its light and ministry to the Church on earth, as the stars in the firmament give light and direction to the inhabitants of the earth, the Church on earth gives light and direction to the world around; for by its direct power and its indirect influence the light of revelation is diffused among all nations. There is still an individual application. The stars in the right hand of the Son of Man are the knowledges, and also the principles, of goodness and truth in the spiritual mind; and the candlesticks are the knowledges and the principles of goodness and truth in the natural mind.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 41

CHAPTER II.

IN this and the following chapter the seven churches of Asia are individually addressed. Their state is described by Him who knows the heart and tries the reins. Their faults are exposed, their virtues are recognized. They are reproved and commended, warned and encouraged. Continuance in sin is threatened with punishment, turning to righteousness has the promise of reward. Through them the Lord speaks to us. The seven churches represent all classes of professing Christians who have any remnant of holy thought and feeling, to which the Holy Word can appeal, and of which the Holy Spirit can take hold, so as to bring them to repentance and make them true and living members of his New Church; each church represents one particular class. Whoever, therefore, can interpret the sacred language in which the states of these several churches are described, will find in some one of them his own character portrayed by infallible wisdom. For these inspired descriptions include all spiritual states of mind and life, from the least to the most receptive of the light and love of God, as brought near to men by the Second Coming of the Lord in power and glory.

1. Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. The church of Ephesus describes that class of persons who are more eager in the pursuit of knowledge than in the acquisition of goodness. The character of those represented by the Ephesian church, as of all the others, is discoverable from the terms in which they are addressed, and especially from the character in which the Lord announces Himself to them. To the church of Ephesus Jesus describes Himself as He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. This is part of the appearance in which the Lord presented Himself to John, as related in the previous chapter.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 42

2, 3. The next two verses enumerate various particulars relative to the practice of those represented by the church of Ephesus, which are mentioned in a manner that implies approbation. I know thy works, and thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear them which are evil: and thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast patience, and for My names sake hast labored, and hast not fainted. The first thing adverted to is a momentous one: I know thy works. This is repeated, under the same circumstance of precedence, to every one of the churches. All the other particulars which the Lord alone knows of them differ. This is alike in all. This searching and solemn warning, carried to its final end in the often repeated declaration that every man shall be judged according to his works, whether they be good or evil, speaks in thunder-tones, deeper if not louder than those of Sinai, of the all-important place which good works hold in the doctrine and economy of the Gospel. Paul, indeed, affirms that man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law. But that to which the faith of the Gospel is opposed is not the law of the decalogue, but the law of ordinances. This Jesus abolished, nailing it to His cross. The law of the ten commandments He came not to destroy but to fulfil. Nor did He come only to fulfil it Himself, but to teach and enable men to fulfil it also. Whosoever, therefore, shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven; but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 43

Before considering those parts of the address that are peculiar to the Ephesians, we may inquire why their church is the first of the seven to which this Divine admonition is addressed. This church represents the first state of all who enter on the Christian life. The love for acquiring knowledge respecting the truth is an intermediate link between attachments that belong wholly to the natural mind and those that belong to the spiritual; and unless that love were awakened it would be impossible to pass from a natural to a spiritual state. The season of youth is the natural period for the development of this love; and a most hopeful sign it is when early manhood culls the flowers of science, and prefers as the fairest that knowledge which teaches the true import of the Holy Word, and the genuine doctrines of the Church. Nothing is said to discourage such pursuits; on the contrary, the Lord sanctions them with His Divine approbation, by manifesting Himself as their Author and Upholder: for He holdeth the stars, He walketh in the midst of the candlesticks. In the enumeration of the works of those who are in this state there is nothing He condemns. His language is that of commendation. And though He points out something as still wanting, the reward He promises as consequent on the Ephesians supplying this deficiency is peculiarly adapted to encourage those whose ruling affection is the love of knowledge; for He assures them that they shall eat of the tree of life,--that they shall add to their knowledge wisdom. But between the first and this last state, when the promised blessing is realized, there are intermediate duties and virtues which require to be considered.

The Ephesians are commended for their labor and patience, and their aversion for them that are evil. There are two kinds of labor, intellectual and moral. The first is that which distinguishes those who are represented by this church. Intellectual labor and patient investigation an the first activities of the mind in its religious advancement. Even the inability to bear them which are evil has, in this stage of the spiritual life, more of an intellectual than of a moral character. Readiness to discover and censure blemishes in others does not always indicate an equal readiness to see and condemn evil in ourselves.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 44

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 45

4, 5. Thus far the church of Ephesus has been addressed in the language of commendation. She is now to hear words of reproof and warning. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, because thou hast left thy first love. The church has left her first love, that ardent and disinterested charity by which the early Christians were so eminently distinguished, that even the surrounding heathen were constrained to admire those whom they pitied and despised. As, however, these words are addressed to persons entering the New Church, who cannot previously have been in a higher state, the expressions must have a more interior meaning. The term first always means what is first in rank or importance. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things shall be added unto you, means to seek these as the first and the highest of all good gifts, knowing that all lesser gifts will follow in their train. The first love is the love that occupies the first rank among Christian graces. The love of God and the love of the neighbor are the highest of the religious affections. The love of knowledge is the highest affection of those who are represented by the Ephesian church. They have not get attained this first love. How then can they have left it? They have left it, not absolutely but relatively; not out of sight, for they have acknowledged and even maintained that love and charity are before faith and knowledge, but they have left it practically, for they have left it unattained. Love has been first in theory, not in practice. The love of knowledge has been their primary love, the love of goodness their secondary love. This is the charge that is brought against them. This is the fault they are required to correct, the defect they are called upon to supply. How beautifully does the apostle describe this state where he declares the supremacy of charity, and the nothingness of all other gifts without it! (1 Cor. xiii.) Knowledge and all lower gifts necessarily precede charity; for they are only means of which charity is the end. Knowledge itself tells us this. And yet while in our Ephesian state we are liable practically to forget it, till the voice of truth calls within us, Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 46

This, then, is the state to which all who have attained a knowledge of Divine things are imperatively called, or rather most tenderly invited to advance. And they are called, not only because their attainments will then be full and complete, but also because otherwise they will be deprived of what they have already attained. For the terrible denunciation follows: Or else I will come to thee quickly, and remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent. How appropriate is the image employed in this summary threat! Those who are addressed are they who have been zealous in the pursuit of knowledge, but have not been equally ardent in the cultivation of goodness. Unlike the woman in the parable, they have not lighted their candle in order to sweep the house, and seek diligently for that which they have lost till they find it.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 47

6. But the Ephesian church represents those who, though they require, do not neglect, the Divine exhortation to repent. Although they are not sufficiently alive to the importance of searching out the evil that lurks in their hearts, and of resisting and removing it by self-denial, they are not in the love of evil. On the contrary, they hate it; especially do they hate and oppose ally doctrine that sanctions or encourages evil. This thou hast, that thou hatest the deeds of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. Little is known of these heretics. If such a sect actually existed, the present reference to it shows that the practice of the Nicolaitanes was opposed to the principles of the Gospel. The Nicolaitanes, as understood in the spiritual sense, are those who separate goodness from truth, or charity from faith, in the business of salvation. Esteeming faith as the only grace that saves, they regard the law as the rule, not of spiritual, but of moral life. When the Divine law is thus regarded, it is deprived of its spirituality. It is no longer a law of conscience, but of action. And when the Divine commandments cease to be the conditions of a covenant between God and man, and are only the rules of conduct between man and man, they exercise but little control beyond what self-love or self-interest demands. Those who have the true knowledge of religion, however little they may have advanced in the religions life, must, if they are sincere, be averse from even the good deeds of the Nicolaitanes, much more from their evil deeds. This aversion comes from the Lord. His truth condemns such deeds, His love revolts against them; and those who have received any measure of His love and truth regard such works with holy hatred.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 48

7. The evils and dangers which stand in the way of the Ephesian church she is now exhorted to overcome, and so obtain the reward of conquest. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. The call to him that hath ears to hear is addressed to all the seven churches, and is one, therefore, to which all are alike required to give heed. It is an appeal to all who have the faculty of understanding the Divine truths which the Lord utters, and a demand that they obey them. It is therefore addressed to all; for all have that faculty, unless they have destroyed it in themselves by the willful confirmation of evil and error. It is a solemn assurance that the knowledge of even Divine truth is of no avail, unless a willing obedience be rendered to its requirements. This is what the Spirit saith to every church, and speaks in every conscience not seared by sin or perverted by error. The Spirit speaks to all in the language of encouragement, to give them the promise of a blessing in the recompense of reward. And here again, while the reward is different to each, the condition on which. it is promised is the same to all. The reward is promised to him that overcomes. The Christian life is a warfare; and the promised blessing is the reward of victory. Accordingly, none are addressed without the mention of dangers to which they are exposed, of lapses to which they are liable, of evils to which they have a particular bias. In guarding against and resisting these consists their state of trial and warfare, and to their final conquest over them is promised the reward of some specific heavenly and eternal beatitude. The danger to which those whose state we are now considering is exposed is the pride of knowledge, and the undue reliance which they are tempted to place upon it, to the neglect of love and goodness. To those who overcome this child of self-love, and acquire by conquest the first love, which is love to the Lord, sad do the first works, which are works of love,--to them will paradise be restored, and the tree of life which is in its midst shall be their delight and nourishment. Every one must see that paradise and the tree of life are here mentioned as images of heavenly beatitude; and that it is not even of heaven considered as a place that they are predicated, but of a certain blessed and elevated state of mind, without which no pleasantness of sense, no profusion of external enjoyment could confer beatitude. A paradise, as is well known, means a most delightful garden; and in the Word of God, or in the language of spiritual analogy, a garden is expressive of a state of exalted wisdom, which consists in having the most important and saving truths written in the heart, so that, without taxing his memory to call them up, one sees them intuitively, and never sees or thinks of them without being spontaneously led to put them in practice.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 49

8, 9. We come now to consider another state of spiritual life, as represented by the second of the seven churches. And unto the angel of the church of Smyrna write; These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead, and is alive; I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty (but thou art rich), and I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. The Ephesian church represents those who cultivate knowledge to the neglect of goodness; the Smyrnian church describes those who cultivate goodness to the neglect of knowledge. Both are one-sided and imperfect characters. It is only by the union of the two elements that a true character can be formed; and the more complete the union the more perfect the character. Truth and goodness are never perfectly equal and united in any man, nor perhaps in any angel. It is the duty of the Christian to strive to unite them as perfectly as his finite and imperfect nature will admit; only when this duty is ignored or neglected is there cause for reproach. This reproach lies at the door of those represented by the church of Smyrna. They acknowledge the necessity of cultivating a principle of goodness in the heart, but are comparatively indifferent about truths of doctrine, conceiving that as good is the first essential of religion, it will excuse the absence of everything else. True indeed it is that good is the first essential of religion. It is, however, certain that without a union with truth there is no true goodness. Outward acts of beneficence may be done from virtuous motives, and kindly affections may be cherished in the heart; but unless the affections are guided by the light, and the actions are directed by the laws, of truth, they are not such as can be recognized in heaven.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 50

The character of the Smyrnians will be seen from the Lords address to them, both as He describes Himself and as He speaks of them. He announces Himself to them as the First and the Last. This expresses His infinity and eternity as to both the essentials of His Divine Essence, which are His Divine Love and Divine Wisdom. In this, as in all the other addresses to the churches, how plainly does the Lord Jesus Christ exhibit Himself as the one Supreme and only God. The terms First and Last are only applicable to the Divine Essence itself, the life and source of all things. When He adds of Himself, as the First and the Last, that He was dead and is alive, He not merely alludes, in the historical sense, to His death and resurrection; spiritually He refers to the denial of His supreme Divinity in the Christian Church, and to the restoration of this acknowledgment in His New Church, where He will again live for ever in the hearts of her members in all the honors to which He is entitled. There is still another important truth expressed in this title, one that corresponds to the exhortation to the church in Smyrna: Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life; but this will come out more forcibly in connection with it. It appears, from the kindness which reigns through all the Lords address to the Smyrnians, that while their goodness is unspiritual, it is not hypocritical. Though sincere, their virtue is not as yet genuine, in consequence of their not yet being grounded in genuine truth. On this account, after saying, I know thy works, the Divine Speaker adds, and tribulation and poverty; which terms describe the imperfection of their state from their good being not pure, because not united with pure truth. Truth purifies good, as good exalts truth.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 51

But there is a danger to which these yet unperfected ones are exposed, which arises from a cause existing among themselves. I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. This answers very nearly in form, and is in a great measure a counterpart in sense, to what is said to the church of Ephesus: Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars. One church was in danger of being seduced by false apostles, the other of being deceived by false Jews. These are trials and dangers incident to their different states. The apostles, we have seen, as the commissioned teachers of the truths of the Gospel, mean, abstractly, those truths themselves which the Gospel contains; so that pretended apostles are false doctrines that claim to be true. Jews, as the descendants of Judah, represent not merely those who teach the doctrines of the Church, but the Church itself, as to the highest and most essential principle which constitutes it, and this is the exalted principle of pure love and goodness. As pretended apostles are false principles that claim to be true; pretended Jews are evil principles that claim to be good. Among those who make a profession of religion, no evil dare put forth such a claim openly. An evil must call itself a good, and it must even claim the support of Scripture. But as truth cannot countenance evil, the truth must be falsified, or falsely interpreted, so as to make it seem to teach, or not to condemn, what is contrary to its own pure nature. The falsification of truth is meant in the Word by blasphemy; so the Lord speaks of, and warns the members of His Church against the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. To be the synagogue of Satan is to be in a deeper and still more awful state of falsehood than to be liars.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 52

10. The trials and temptations which our Lord endured, as a means of His glorification, were the archetypes of such as His disciples must bear as a means of their regeneration. All have to pass through the same ordeal, for all have to overcome. But temptation, which is common to all, is different with each; for the nature of our trial is determined by the character of the evil or error which we have adopted or to which we are prone, and through which the temptation comes. The particular nature of the temptations required for perfecting the state of those represented by the church of Smyrna, we learn from the nature of the trials they are to suffer. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days; be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life....He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. We have here a description of the regenerative process through which those must pass who have a sincere love of goodness, but who have no corresponding perception or even knowledge of truth, and who in consequence have fallen into the dangerous error of supposing that their untried and undisciplined goodness is sufficient for their salvation.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 53

Yet, whatever may be the state in this respect which any of us may have reason to believe ourselves to be in, we ought not to be deterred by the certainty of suffering from submitting to the process needed for its correction. The question is, Do we really wish to be healed? Are we earnestly desirous to be brought into a state of real goodness? Is there a sincere affection for heavenly graces and virtues in the inmost of our minds? If so, the language of Divine Love is, Fear not. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. The words imply, that where the state is such, the Lord will afford inward support amply sufficient to counterbalance any privations that may be experienced. Such encouragement the Lord is ever imparting to those who venture to encounter temptations for the sake of being brought nearer to Him. It is written repeatedly in His Word for our comfort in temptation; and when we are entering on the states to which it applies, it is intended that we should take it for our support. To all, therefore, to whom any view of the inrooted evil and false principles has been opened, and to whom, if they consulted their own feelings alone, the view would be attended with despair, the Lord says, Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 54

The Divine Exhorter proceeds to say, Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days. This is manifestly descriptive of a state of temptation which must be undergone to remove from those who are inwardly in a principle of good, but whose good is not pure because connected with false persuasions, those false notions which they before thought of little consequence, hut of the pernicious nature of which they are now sensible. To be in prison is to be in a state in which the mind, though in the love of good, is not yet possessed of the truth which makes it free. This, however, would be no state of temptation unless there was a sense of bondage and a desire for liberty. It is when this sense and desire are awakened that there is a state of temptation. So long as the mind is content with its state there is no trial. Trial indicates, therefore, a change of state. Self-satisfaction has been succeeded by self-distrust, if not by self-abhorrence. In this state it is the inward good which, having too long neglected the truth which would have given it freedom of action, finds itself imprisoned by the errors that have gradually gathered and at last closed around it. The mind wishes to be at liberty to do what is good, and to think what is true and in agreement with the good it loves, but is unable to have a perception of it, and is held involuntarily in thoughts of an opposite kind; so it seems to itself to be nothing but evil, and to bet so occupied with thoughts of evil that it appears as if it can never be otherwise. This is effected by the agency of evil spirits, who, in states of temptation, are permitted to exert such influence. This they would not be suffered to do, were there not in the tempted one evil or false principles in agreement with those infused by the tempters, but the malignity of which he never would have seen but for the exaggerations with which they are now accompanied, and which are continued till the utmost abhorrence is excited. Thus it is that their removal is effected. It is said that the tribulation should continue ten days. This cannot mean just such a measure of time; nor indeed any natural period. The duration of temptations or of any other condition of mental experience is not measured by days but by states, and these are spiritually meant by days. The number ten is used to express all or much, and here, as much as is requisite to produce the desired result. The desired result in the present case is, that truth may be added and united to goodness.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 55

As the reward of submitting to death, the Lord. promises, not life only, but the crown of life. This expression is used particularly in reference to the state of those who are in good but not in corresponding truths, and is meant to imply, that when we submit to be stript of our false persuasion, and of everything that degrades and obscures the mind, truth will be united to our goodness, and we shall possess everything requisite to our true happiness.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 56

12. The address to the church of Pergamos opens to our view another phase of the Christian life and experience, but one intimately related to those already considered, especially the last. To the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These thing saith He that hath the sharp sword with two edges. The church of Pergamos represents those who live in the outward practice of good works, but are not in genuine truth, and are sometimes not very solicitous, provided good works be done, what the motive is from which they proceed. The difference between the church of Pergamos and the church of Smyrna is this. Those of Smyrna are more in the love of what is good, those of Pergamos are more in the practice of what is good. Both are deficient in regard to the knowledge and understanding of truth. Too little importance is attached to the acquisition of truth. Religious truth is very commonly regarded as consisting of dogmas that are simply to be believed, or to be matters of opinion, the very consideration of which has a tendency to disturb the faith and distract the mind. But truth, properly considered, is the counselor and the guide of goodness. Truth may even be called the eye of the mind. A good disposition without truth is blind impulse; a good act without truth is blind beneficence. And while solitary good, both in disposition and in act, is unwise in its aims and objects, and therefore always imperfect and often mischievous in its effects, it is in itself marred by the natural infirmities of the heart and mind.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 57

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 58

13. The first words addressed to this church, as to all the others, in relation to its own state is, I know thy works. As the church of Pergamos represents those who trust to works alone for salvation, and who regard them as the only necessary elements of the Christian character; it may be useful to advert for a moment to this subject. We are liable to think of works as they appear to us, as consisting of actions, and to conclude that if men are to be judged by their works, works of the same kind will secure for all who perform them the same reward. This is a serious mistake. In regard to other mens works we see but the outward appearance, but the Lord looks upon the heart. He sees every most subtle emotion of the heart, even the most varying suggestion of the thoughts, which have place before the act is done, nod which embody themselves in its performance. And the reason He judges man, not from his heart alone, or from his thoughts alone, or from both together, but from his works, is, because the purposes of the heart and the thoughts of the mind are not complete till they enter into some act. The act includes every affection and thought that concur in producing it, and the eye of Omniscience takes in the whole, and much that the mind itself is unconscious of. It is to imply that mans fate is not determined by his Maker from any separate part, but from his whole being, that it is so often said that he shall be judged according to his works. It is also to apprize us that we are thus entirely known to our God, from our most concealed motives of action to the actions themselves, that the Lord prefaces His address to each of the churches, by saying, I know thy works.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 59

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 60

Temptations must come through the serious errors with which the church of Pergamos is charged, and as a means of removing them. It is said of them that their dwelling is where Satans seat is, or, more correctly, where his throne is. Satan is a word that means an adversary. This name is applied to evil spirits, collectively called Satan and the Devil, chiefly in reference to their opposition to the Lords Divine truth, and as the original of all falsehood and infidelity; as the term Devil is applied to evil spirits in reference to their opposition to the Lords Divine goodness, and as the origin of all evil and malignity. Where mention is made in Scripture of the Devil and his operations, the subject treated of is evil lusts; and where mention is made of Satan, the subject treated of is false persuasions; and both of these as excited by evil spirits. When, therefore, mention is here made of the throne of Satan, it means where false persuasions of the most destructive nature bear say. It is plain, however, that although they of Pergamos are said to dwell where Satans throne is, or where destructive false persuasions bear rule, it does not mean that they are themselves principled in such persuasions, because it is immediately added, that they hold fast the Lords name, and have not denied his faith, which they must have done if they were principled in such destructive opinions. The meaning, therefore, is, that those who are in the practice of good works without being in truths of doctrine, are surrounded by those who are in such dangerous errors, and are themselves in a state of great obscurity, and are exposed in consequence to serve trials and temptations. But while surrounded by error and darkness, they still have that which preserves them in communion with their Savior, and enables Him to sustain them in their temptations. Thou holdest fast My name, and hast not denied, My faith. The name of the Lord always means His nature; and His nature is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom, or Divine Goodness and Divine Truth. In the highest sense the Lords name means His Divine Humanity; for in His Humanity the Divine nature dwells: in His Humanity God is known, and in it God is the object of love and faith and, therefore, of worship. When it is said of those represented by the church of Pergamos that they hold fast the Lords name, it means that those who make good works the essential of religion and doctrine, are in the Lords Divine sphere of Love and Wisdom, and in the interior acknowledgment of His Divine Humanity, although they may be in possession of but few truths respecting Him.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 61

14, 15. While those whose character we have endeavored to describe are preserved within the sphere of the Divine protection, they are yet more or less in the errors into which those who view the whole of religion as consisting in good works are apt to fall. These are meant by the charges brought against the church of Pergamos. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. The Scripture account of Balaam is a singular one. A magician and soothsayer of Mesopotamia, he appears to have studied occult sciences merely as a profession, and to have been ready to employ his skill in agreement with the wishes of any employer. He was therefore sent for by the king of Moab to impede the march of the Israelites by his incantations. The Lord interfered in a miraculous manner so as to convert his intended curse into a blessing, and Balaam himself seemed willing to concur in it. Yet when the Divine influence under which he acted was over, he endeavored to frustrate his own prediction. He counseled Balac to proceed with subtlety, and by the fascinations of the young Moabitish women to allure the sons of Israel to idolatry.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 62

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 63

16. It is in consideration of the two fatal mistakes to which those are liable who ascribe the power of salvation to works alone, that the Lord says to the church of Pergamos, Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword of My mouth. From this we are taught the necessity of departing from the notion that good works, without regard to their motive, can secure salvation; and are informed that unless Divine truth, which is the sword of the Lords mouth, be received and employed by us to correct our errors and oppose our evils, it will come against us, and separate us from the kingdom of righteousness, which we mistakenly supposed might be attained without it. Let us ever remember that the Lord does not fight against us, but only against that in us which is opposed to His truth, and therefore to our true and eternal interests; and that it is only when we so identify these with ourselves that they cannot be separated from us, that the sword which was intended to fall upon and separate our corruptions from us, falls upon ourselves, and separates us eternally from God, the only Good and the only True, who can have no communion with evil and falsehood.

17. If, however, we attend to the Divine admonition, and remove evil and error, and unite truth with our good, and steadily and diligently practice good works under its enlightened and holy influence, we are instructed that a very exalted state of heavenly glory is before us; for the Lord says, To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 64

18. The church of Thyatira, which we now come to consider, describes a phase of the religious character very different from those which have already come under our notice.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 65

19. Jesus thus announces Himself to the church of Thyatira: these things saith the Son of God, who hath His eyes like unto a flame of fire, and His feet like fine brass. The Lord appears to every one according to His state. On this principle He describes Himself variously to the churches. To the church of Thyatira He introduces Himself as the Son of God, because this is especially the name of His Divine Humanity. For the Son of God does not mean an eternally begotten Son, whom some regard as a second person of the Trinity. The human nature, or the man, born of the Virgin Mary was the Son of God, because God was His Father; so that even from conception Jesus was the Son of God and His only begotten. But He was the Son of God, and of God done, as being no longer the Son of Mary, when He was glorified, for He rose from the dead with a Humanity not only begotten but born of God, that is, re-born; for the Lord, as a man, was glorified as we are regenerated. As our re-birth makes us sons of God, the Lords re-birth made Him the Son of God. As we, by regeneration, put off the old man and put on the new, Jesus, by glorification, put off all the infirm and finite humanity He derived from His human mother, and put on the perfect and infinite humanity from His Divine Father. That is wholly from God must be wholly Divine. Therefore that which the Lord now has is a Divine Humanity, which is truly the Son of God. It is this Humanity whose eyes are as a flame of fire, and whose feet are as fine brass. His eyes are His infinite wisdom, the fire is His infinite love. His eyes are not said to be like fire, but like a flame of fire; for His wisdom proceeds from His love as flame arises from fire. The eyes of the Lord run to and fro through the whole earth (Zec. iv. 10); for His wisdom sees and provides for all the states of mankind.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 66

19. The particulars which the Lord notices in His address to such persons will enable us to discern their character still more clearly, and sec what we must do to realize it ourselves. He says to them, I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy patience, and thy works; and the last to be more than the first.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 67

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 68

20. As the other churches we have considered, so of the church of Thyatira, commendation is followed by admonition and warning. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, which calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit fornication, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. This serious charge is not to be understood as brought against all indiscriminately who belong to this church. As a collective body they are to be considered as having such wicked pretenders among them, from whose contagious influence they require to be delivered, either by the reformation or separation of its corrupted members. That the censures and denunciations which follow are not intended for those good members whose state is first described, is evident from its being afterwards said, But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold first till I come. Nor therefore to those who are in charity, faith, and good works does the charge of listening to the woman Jezebel apply, but to a class who have no just claim to so excellent a character. The literal sense speaks of the woman Jezebel; but the spiritual sense knows nothing of any individual woman, nor does it treat of those natural evils of which tills woman Jezebel is here said to be the author. That the woman Jezebel, as introduced into this prophetic book, cannot mean ally particular woman must be evident. It is equally clear that she must be the symbol of some destructive principle which seeks admission into the human mind and, when admitted, strives to turn it, by its delusive insinuations, from the true worship of the Lord. And if this is meant by this prophetic Jezebel, the historical Jezebel, though a real person, must have been a representative character, a living type of the same destructive principle.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 69

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 70

21. But the Lord is ever acting and teaching so as to counteract the errors and influences that would seduce His people. Even of the wicked prophetess He says, and I gave her space to repent of her fornication; and she repented not. Two momentous truths are here placed before us. The Lord desires that even such as Jezebel should be saved. In this world the door of repentance is never shut. Yet those who have plunged deep in wickedness too often repent not. And no state is less hopeful than that of those who have turned the truth aside, and made it their accomplice in the commission of sin. The truth which is falsified is seldom so entirely perverted but that her still small voice may be heard when the tumult of the passions has at any time subsided.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 71

22, 23. Among the considerations which press in upon the soul, if not entirely insensible to the realities of a future life, are those of the judgment to come, which are now described. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. Although those represented by Jezebel herself refuse to repent, yet those who have been seduced by her appear to be more capable of turning from sin. The singular punishment or result of her sin--being cast into a bed--is sufficiently terrible when spiritually interpreted. A bed, as being that on which one reposes, represents the natural mind, on which the interiors rest, as the body on a bed: it also represents doctrine which every one forms for himself from the Word; and doctrine is the truth of the Word, so arranged and digested as to be seen and acquiesced in even by the natural mind. It frequently happened that when the Lord healed the sick, He told them to take up their bed and walk, which represented that elevation of the natural man and his doctrine, which is a result of acknowledging the Lords Divinity and receiving His life-giving influences. To be cast into a bed, must mean a state directly the opposite of this--a state of mental degradation, the immersion of all its thoughts and affections in sensual lusts, and an entire acquiescence in the erroneous views of doctrine which the natural man frames for himself. Those who confirm themselves in this state are cast, or rather cast themselves, into the bed of sensuality and falsehood, into which they sink deeper and deeper till they make their bed in hell. So deep is this falsity, that those who have been seduced into giving it their practical approval, are cast into great tribulation. This is not the tribulation of temptation, but the unrest and anguish of persistent error and evil, and is threatened against those who do not repent. Repentance saves from this troubled state. It has the further effect of depriving of life and power the errors which are the offspring of corrupt affections, which is meant by killing the children, or sons, of Jezebel with death. Happy shall he be, says the Psalmist, apostrophizing Babylon, who taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones (Ps. cxxxvii. 9).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 72

24, 25. After describing the seductions to which the church of Thyatira is more especially liable, and to which some of its members yield, the Lord addresses Himself to those who have withstood the allurement, and says, But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and which have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak; I will put upon you none other burden. But that which ye have already hold fast till I come. The doctrine spoken of is that which we have already considered as the teaching of Jezebel; and the depths of Satan, which are now added, are the cunning perversions of the Word and reasonings from the natural mind, by which false notions are made to appear as true, and a persuasion is induced, though not directly taught, that sensual desires may be freely gratified without prejudice to salvation.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 73

26-28. The reward of holding fast what we have, and resisting all temptation to let it go, is now set before us. And he that overcometh, and keepth My works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the morning star. To overcome implies resistance to evil, and to keep the Lords works unto the end implies perseverance in good. But the promise. What can be meant by each individual conqueror and persistent worker receiving power over the nations, and ruling them with a rod of iron?

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 74

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 75

CHAPTER III.

1, 2. A CLASS of professing Christians, very different from any of those we have yet considered, is represented by the church of Sardis. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. The very brief description of their character conveys at once a very clear idea of the religious state of those they represent. As the character in which the Lord presents Himself to the churches has relation to the character of those they represent, we must first attend to the images He employs. As the seven churches represent the whole Church, as it consists of the different classes of persons in Christendom who have any religion, the seven spirits of God are the one Divine Spirit, as it adapts itself to, and is received by, persons in different religious states. As seven is a holy number, whether we say the seven spirits or the Holy Spirit, the meaning is precisely the same.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 76

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 77

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 78

3. To those whose works God has found to be not empty, but not full, He gives the exhortation, Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. To remember what we have received and heard is to call to mind, and not only to call to mind but to bring into the heart, the truths of the Word which we have learnt, and which we profess to believe and attend to. To hold fast, or, as it should be rendered, to keep, them, is to make them the guides of our thoughts and lives; and to repent is to turn from a state of empty profession, and submit to the change and renewal of mind necessary to make us in reality what before we only outwardly seemed to be. If we do not watch and repent, the Lord will come as a thief. In this, and in several other instances, the Lord compares His Coming to perform judgment, both on the perverted church in general and on its members in particular, to the unnoticed depredations of a thief. We are warned by this image of the certain but imperceptible manner in which all the knowledges of Divine things which may possess, and indeed everything that gives us the appearance of members of the Church, will pass out of the mind, or be abandoned by us, unless they have obtained a root in our hearts, and have acquired life by being loved from pure motives, unconnected with worldly considerations, and made the arbiters of our affections and thoughts.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 79

4. There are others who have not lapsed into such errors, or who, having done so, have been reclaimed, and who become of the number of those who overcome in the temptations to which they are exposed. Of these the Lord says, Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white: for they are worthy. The general meaning of this is obvious. Garments relate to the outward life and profession; especially to the truths from the Word in which one is principled, or the notions he regards as true, which he has formed for himself or adopted from others. The garments are defiled when there is anything cherished within which is inconsistent with what is displayed without. As the church of Sardis represents those who make a profession of religion, and are strict in their attention to formal worship and morality, but care little about vital religion; so those among them who do not defile their garments are those who practice these observances from spiritual motives, who learn truth from the Word and live according to it. It may seem as if the difference between the two classes included in the description of the church of Sardis was rather an outward than an inward one, that it consisted rather in a difference of practice than of principle. This to some extent is true. The more spiritual a man is, the more correct will be his morals, the more devout will be his worship. In some things the man who acts from principle will be less strict than the man who acts by rule. Your men of law are great sticklers for outward observances and outward proprieties. But all this may be combined with bigotry, uncharitableness, and self-seeking. The man of principle is less regardful of the conventionalities of religion, but more scrupulous about its essentials. He does not concern himself so much as to what men think as to what God regards.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 80

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 81

5, 6. The Lord proceeds to say of them, He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels. Although every church is required to overcome, the evil to be conquered is different with each. All have to fight against the corruptions of their fallen nature, but every one has something, both hereditary and acquired, peculiar to himself. That which those symbolized by the church of Sardis have especially to oppose in themselves is the tendency to sit down satisfied with the profession and outward observances of religion, instead of possessing its substance and inward life. The white raiment which they obtain as the result of overcoming we have already considered. Two other distinguished blessings are promised. Not to blot his name out of the Book of Life but to be numbered with the living, evidently implies the blessing of eternal life. The Book of Life is the Holy Word, and also the interiors of the human mind which are formed, or reformed, according to its holy principles. Not to blot out a persons name out of this book is to acknowledge that the quality of his mind is in agreement with its truth, and thus to make him a partaker of eternal life. Not to blot out his name implies that his name is already there. We read afterwards of some who were not written in the Book of Life. These are described as among the ranks of the Lords enemies.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 82

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 83

We have already considered five of the seven churches which represent so many different classes of those who form the universal Church of Christ at the time of its end, and from amongst whom a New Church is to be established. Of the several states of mind which the seven churches symbolically describe, the best and the worst seem to be represented by the two remaining churches; of these two, the church of Philadelphia is the first to be considered.

The slightest perusal of the Divine address to this church is sufficient to convince us that it represents a class of persons of a comparatively exalted character. It is remarkable that while all the other churches are either themselves charged with deficiencies, and called to repentance, or cautioned against seductions to which they are liable to yield, the church of Philadelphia is addressed in the language of unmixed approbation. The similarities between this and the best of the other churches are attended with differences which tell to its advantage. To the Philadelphians it is said, Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet; which evidently points out a state connected with, yet superior to, that of the Smyrnians, to whom the Lord says, I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. To the church of Smyrna, the Lord promises, as a reward of fidelity, to give them a crown of life, intimating that it is yet to be won; but to the church of Philadelphia, he says, Hold that thou hast, that no men take thy crown, intimating that it is already obtained. To the church of Smyrna he says, They most be tried, and have tribulation ten days; but of the church of Philadelphia he says, That He will keep them from the hour of temptation, or trial, which shall come upon all the world, upon all the rest of the church, to try them that dwell upon the earth. So with respect to the church of Pergamos, it is said, Thou holdest fast My Name, and hast not denied My faith; which resembles the declaration to Philadelphia, Thou hast kept My Word, and hast not denied My Name.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 84

The church of Philadelphia seems in a great measure to partake of the excellences of the other churches without their defects. Not that this church is perfect; but it is nearer to perfection. It represents those who are in genuine truth founded in genuine goodness, and whose mind is open, so as to be in communication with, and in an advanced state of preparation for, the mansions of heaven. This will appear very clearly from the language in which the church is addressed.

7. And to the angel of the church of Philadelphia write. The name of the city whose Christian inhabitants are now, in the literal sense, addressed, is so much in harmony with the character of the persons belonging to the professing church who are included in the spiritual sense, that if we did not know that a city so called really existed in Asia, we might suppose the name to have been invented by the writer of the sacred book to express the spiritual quality of the class of persons described. Philadelphia signifies brotherly love. It was on account of its beautiful meaning that the benevolent Penn, when he founded the capital of the State of Pennsylvania in America, borrowed this name for his rising city; and thus a Philadelphia has arisen, and continues to flourish, in the Western Hemisphere long after the Philadelphia of the east, the seat of one of the seven churches of Asia, has ceased to exist, or, at least, to be known by that name.

To this church the Lord addresses Himself as He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth. All these expressions mean certain Divine perfections which exist in the Lord, and of which He is the bountiful dispenser to those who, like the Philadelphians, are disposed and prepared to receive them. When the Lord says He is holy and true, He intimates that He is addressing those who in an eminent degree receive from Him the sanctifying principles of His truth and love, and in their measure become like Him, holy and true. The Holy and True is He also that hath the key of David, and that opens and shuts by His own independent and irresistible power. What is this key of David that locks and unlocks the universal and everlasting gates? To David himself self no such power belonged; from him no such power could be derived.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 85

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 86

8. Alluding to His power of opening and shutting heaven and hell by virtue of His possessing the key of David, the Lord proceeds to say, Behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it. In the general sense the Lord, by His work of redemption, has set an open door before all men; for all may now freely enter into His kingdom, both on earth and in heaven. In an eminent sense the Lord Himself is the Door. I am the Door; by Me if any man enter in he shall be saved (John x. 9). Jesus is the Medium or Mediator. Through Jesus alone there is admission into the church and heaven, because He, as Man, has opened the barred gates, and ascended up into heaven, and far above all heavens, and has thus opened the way into the holiest of all, and has become the Mediator of the New Covenant (Heb. ix.). But there is a special sense in which the Lord has set an open door before those meant by the church now under consideration. Why does He open for the church of Philadelphia a door which is closed as yet to all the other churches? Because this church represents those in whom the door of the inner man is opened to the reception of heavenly things, and, as a consequence, heaven itself is open to the admission of their souls, when they quit their earthly tabernacles. The Philadelphians are already in that state of united faith and charity, to which all the other churches are only in the capacity or in the progress of attaining. Their conversation is in heaven (Phil. iii. 20). They are heavenly-minded; and that substantially is heaven. They have not, however, actually entered through the door into the inner chamber of the mind where heaven has its dwelling-place. Although the spiritual mind is opened, the regenerate man does not enter sensibly into it, till he puts off his material body, and becomes an angel.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 87

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 88

9. This result is described in its being said, Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but to lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I loved thee. Among the various blessings that the Holy Word holds out as encouragements to the Christian to enter on and pursue his heavenward course, there is none which he will more highly prize, when once he has sincerely set about the work, than the assurance so often repeated that all his foes shall be put beneath his feet. This is indeed a promise which, as to its literal sense, the merely natural man would gladly see fulfilled. But tell him that his natural enemies are not designed in the promise, but that the enemies to be subdued are the foes of his own household, his own mind, and he will perhaps not think the promise worth a fulfillment, for he regards these foes not as enemies but as friends. The sincere Christian, however, knows the value of a conquest over his spiritual foes. He knows that there are many propensities to evil within him which must be removed before he can attain the object on which he has act his supreme affections.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 89

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 90

10. Another point of similarity, which helps to bring out more clearly the character of those represented by the church of Philadelphia, occurs here. It is said to the church of Smyrna, Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may he tried. To the church of Philadelphia. it is said, Because thou hast kept the word of My patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Patience is a word of much the some meaning as suffering; but what with the church of Smyrna is yet to come, is with the church of Philadelphia already past. The Lords Word is here called the Word of His patience, in allusion to the combat against evil desires and false persuasions, which those who attain a heavenly state must previously maintain; and to the sense of privation experienced between the laying down the life of the old man, and taking up the life of the new. Before regeneration can be completed, the spiritual mind and the natural mind are to be united; and before this can be effected, a state of suffering, more or less severe, is unavoidable, and this exactly in the degree in which any false or evil principles have been confirmed by reasonings in their favor, and by actual life. When, however, resistance to web principles lies been faithfully persevered in, and when the Christian, has conquered in temptation, he is preserved from the danger of being injured by such conflicts for ever after. He has the Divine promise, I will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. In a general sense, this decisive hour is the time of the general judgment described at the end of the Book of Revelation. Although this takes place in the spiritual world, its effects are experienced in the natural world. Only those in either world are kept from its temptation who keep the Word of the Lords patience. In a more particular sense the hour of temptation means those states of trial which every one is subjected to after death, as a final preparation for his admission into heaven; and the Coming of the Lord, which is a day of rejoicing to some, and of mourning to others, is, individually, the period when we are ushered by death into His more immediate presence.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 91

11. The certainty of the events which the Lord here speaks of is expressed by the words, Behold, I come quickly. The spiritual sense of the Word has no relation to time. Spiritual events in this world happen in periods of time; but their causes are in the spiritual world and in the spiritual states of men, and these states are meant in the Word by times. The Lords Second Coming is that to which a general reference is made; and this, measured by time, can hardly be understood as having come quickly. When His Coming is understood of that event which introduces us into the eternal world, the meaning of the word quickly is impressive as well as appropriate, since, whether soon or late, it is certain. And knowing the certainty of the event, how needful the admonition, Hold that fast which thou hast, that no man take thy crown. The crown which is obtained by labor can only be preserved by watchfulness and perseverance. The Christian obtains his crown, not by gaining a victory over another, but by conquering himself. Before the crown is the cross. By subduing the evils of his corrupt nature, he gains an incorruptible crown; not the crown of earthly glory, but that of spiritual intelligence and wisdom. The church of Smyrna is promised a crown on condition of being faithful unto death; but this church has obtained the crown during life. We should say during natural life; for those who are here represented have already passed through the death which is yet future to those whom the church of Smyrna represents. They have to hold fast what that church has not acquired, a true faith grounded in true charity. This must be held by a good life. Especially needful is it to hold fast the graces of religion in trying times, as these are understood to be; when men are too much disposed to win the faithful from their allegiance and duty to God. For these are the times of which the Lord said, Take heed, that no man deceive you. For many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and shall deceive many (Matt. xxiv. 4.).

12. The promise given to those who hold to the principles of spiritual life which they have been so happy as to acquire, is one of the most interesting but singular of all those that occur in the seven churches of Asia; Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God; and I will write upon him My new name. It is remarkable that those who have already obtained the crown have yet to overcome, and to receive the reward of victory. The two states of this church are those who have already obtained the crown have yet to overcome, and to receive the reward of victory.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 92

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 93

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 94

The first thing said of him that overcomes is, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God. The temple, wherever mentioned in Scripture, refers literally to the temple at Jerusalem; and this was considered under the Jewish Dispensation as the immediate dwelling-place of the Lord, who was supposed to be present between the two cherubim placed over the ark in the Holy of Holies. On this account the temple, in the highest sense, was a type of the Lords Divine Humanity, this being the dwelling of His Essential Divinity, as is evident from His saying, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up again, on which occasion it is expressly declared He spake of the temple of His body. In an inferior sense, the temple means sometimes the church on earth, and sometimes heaven, these being the dwelling-places of the Lord in His Humanity. In that particular sense it means the regenerate mind, which is the Church and heaven in the least form. In the present instance, it evidently means heaven, for it is said that those who are admitted shall go no more out, alluding to the shutting, after their admission, of the door which God sets open before them. But it is said that those who are spoken of shall be made pillars in this temple, which again alludes to their characteristic feature as being principled in truth derived from goodness; for as pillars are the support of a building, so is truth from good the support of heaven and the Church. Good in its own nature, and therefore alone, is flexible and yielding. It is truth that gives it firmness and stability.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 95

But a right apprehension of truth, grounded in a love for goodness, secures the mind alike from wavering and perplexity, and prevents the fair edifice of Christian principle and profession from sinking into a disordered heap of useless ruins. It is therefore with peculiar elegance said of those here addressed, by whom such characters are meant, that they shall be pillars in the temple of God. The name of God and of the holy city, and the Lords new name, are to be written upon them. A name, we have seen, is expressive of nature or quality. When the Lord says, He will write upon His people the name of His God, it denotes that all the life of love, perceptions, and thoughts in those spoken of, shall always be regulated by the unerring dictates of Divine truth--that they shall derive the essence of their nature and quality from it, and be in consequence always in agreement with it. This, however, applies more particularly to their inward states. That their outward states will be of the same nature, and thus their words and works will be marked by the same character, is meant by its being added, And the name of the city of My God, New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God. The holy city, New Jerusalem, is, as we shall see when we come to the 21st chapter, the Church of the Lords Second Advent, the perfect complement of all other churches that have hitherto existed in the world. The New Jerusalem is represented as a city and a bride--a city as a form of truth, a bride as a form of love. It is the name of the city that is to be written upon those represented by the church of Philadelphia. The name of God is to be written within, the name of the city without. Truth proceeding immediately from the Lord will be inscribed on the heart, and truth proceeding from Him immediately through heaven, will be inscribed on the understanding. The imagery teaches a still more interior truth. Heaven is an image of the spiritual mind, and the earth of the natural. The holy city comes down from heaven when the truth that sanctifies the affections comes down to direct the thoughts, and thence to guide the life. The Lord adds finally, that He will write upon them His new name. What is the Lords new name? What is it that is characteristic of Him that can be said to be new?

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 96

We now come to the last of the churches to whom this Book of the Revelation of John is inscribed, or the last of the classes of the professing members of the Christian Church, who are in any degree capable of acknowledging the Lord at the time of His Second Advent, and of entering the New Church to be then established by Him. As the Laodiceans are the last that are mentioned, they represent those who are least in a state for duly receiving the Divine mercies of the Second Advent. They are addressed more in the language of unmixed reproof than any of the other churches. Those most severely censured of the others are the members of the church of Sardis, who are said to have a name to live, but are dead still there were a few names in Sardis who had not defiled their garments. But no exception is made in favor of any of those of Laodicea; the threat of being entirely east out by the Lord is held forth to all.

14. Before considering the state of this church, it is necessary to notice the characters which the Lord assumes in addressing it. Unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write; These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the beginning of the creation of God. Amen is an Old Testament term, and, means the truth. It is the word used in Isaiah, where we read, He who blesseth himself in the earth shall bless himself in the God of Truth; and he that sweareth in the earth shall swear by the God of Truth (lxv. 16).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 97

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 98

It may appear to be inconsistent with the dignity we claim for Jesus as the Amen, that the very next character He takes to Himself is that of a witness, which seems to indicate something distinct from, if not inferior to, that which is witnessed. Nevertheless, the witness and that which is witnessed are one and the same Divine Being, though they have reference to distinct principles or dualities of His infinite perfections. As the Amen the Lord is Divine Truth in its essence and origin, as the faithful and true Witness He is Divine Truth in its going forth or proceeding; and Divine Truth in its going forth or proceeding bears witness to Divine Truth in its origin and essence. Divine Truth, such as it is in itself, is beyond the comprehension of any finite being. Of this none but the Lord Himself can know anything. To become at all perceptible to man it must be accommodated to his faculties. When thus accommodated it is a faithful and true witness which makes manifest its original.

Divine Truth, as it is in itself may be compared to light in its origin in the sun, where it exists, not as a principle perceptible to our senses as light, but rather as a power of giving light, but which, if it could be approached by anything proper to the world below, would instantly consume it. Divine Truth as a faithful witness, or in its attempered manifestation, is like the light proceeding from the sun to the earth through the medium of the atmospheres, which is perceived by our senses as light, and, containing heat within it, vivifies and gladdens the whole face of creation.

Yet every one perceives that the light, though proceeding from the sun, is one with the sun, while it is essentially distinct from the material bodies that are enlivened by its beams.

The Lord came into the world as the Light, but clothed with humanity to accommodate it to the minds of men. He assumed human nature in the world for the express purpose .of imparting such a quality to His Divine influences its might adapt them to affect the mind of man oven in his natural state. When the Lord was examined before Pilate He said, To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I might bear witness to the truth. By these words our Lord informs us that He assumed the human nature to make His Divine Truth apprehensible to man in that natural state signified by the world. For the Divine Truth, as it previously proceeded from the sun of heaven, wits only adapted to affect the superior regions of the human mind, but produced no perceptive impression on the natural mind in which man was then wholly immersed, so that he must have perished eternally, had not the Lord in mercy assumed and glorified the natural principle in Himself, in order that by a powerful influx thence the Divine influences might reach and act upon the corresponding principle in man.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 99

15, 16. After addressing to the Laodiceans the usual solemn warning, I know thy works, He continues, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither could nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. This lukewarmness is not a state of indifference. The absence of concern for the soul, or interest in eternal things, is a simple and positive state. It is cold indifference, and by no means an uncommon or peculiar condition of mind, ultimating in a singular and fearful result. The state here described is the mixture and conjunction of good and evil. It is that state described by the parable of the man who, when the evil spirit had gone out of him, not finding rest, said, I will return to my house from whence I came out: so taking with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, they entered in and dwelt there; and of whom it is said that the last state of that man was worse than the first.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 100

But the specific charge against the Laodiceans is, that they are neither cold nor hot. To be cold is to be unaffected, from any inward ground, by love to the Lord and love to the neighbor, and to be without any affection for heavenly graces, whether relating to goodness or truth, to life or knowledge. To be hot is to be affected by these loves and graces. It is easy to see what these states are. It is not so easy clearly to see what that state is which is neither one nor the other, but is a mixture of both. When two such opposite and irreconcilable things as good and evil, truth and falsehood, are mixed together, their union must create a state in which the mind is torn by these ever-conflicting elements. God has mercifully provided for the separation of the good and the evil in the other life. And His Providence is ever directed to the separation of good and evil in the minds of men in this life.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 101

To those who are in this lamentable state, the Lord says, in the tenderness of Divine Love, I would thou wert cold or hot; but because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of My mouth. The Lord desires the happiness of all His creatures. When this cannot he, He desires that those who refuse happiness should endure the least possible misery. The greater the sin the greater misery. As profanation is the greatest sin, it brings the greatest misery. As it is a singular result, the result of it is expressed by a singular image. The Lord says to those who are lukewarm, I will spue thee out of My mouth. We no not apologize for this language. It is plain, but it is expressive. We may he it would not be mentioned in the Lords Divine Word were it not for some very important and significant reason. The different images that are used also particularly agree with each other. Lukewarm water provokes vomiting. Food, when eaten, is taken into the stomach to undergo the process of digestion. After this the nutritive portion is separated from the rest, and becomes a part of the body. This process corresponds exactly to that which is performed with all who depart out of this world. The good and the bad who enter the eternal world are, as it were, the food by which the heavenly and infernal kingdoms are fed and enlarged. The good, answering to those parts of our natural food which is capable of supporting our bodily frame, after undergoing purifications and rectifications similar to what the good part of the chyle receives in the ducts through which it passes before poured into the blood, are finally conveyed to their destination in heaven, and form a part of what the apostle calls the mystical body; whilst the bad, answering to that part of the chyle which is incapable of being converted into nourishment for the body, are separated from the nutritive part, and conveyed to the kingdom of darkness. The good have what remained of the evil which pertained to them taken away, and so are capable of dwelling in heaven; and the wicked have what they had assumed of goodness taken away, and so are made capable of dwelling in the kingdom of darkness.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 102

17, 18. The church of Laodicea is addressed in this language: Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. This passage affords ample demonstration of the style in which the Word is written. It everywhere consists of natural images designed to convey spiritual ideas. Natural riches are the symbols of spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of Divine things. These are the true riches of the mind, by a right use of which all heavenly blessings may be procured, as all worldly comforts may be purchased by natural riches. These riches, like money are not true wealth, but only the means for obtaining it. One may therefore be spiritually rich and yet be poor, as the miser with his money bags may yet be the poorest of the poor. The Laodicoan, however, claims not only riches, but increase in goods. This is expressed by one word, which literally means enriched.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 103

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 104

The danger, or even the bare possibility, of falling into such a state as Divine wisdom has here described, should lead us faithfully to examine our own hearts and minds, to see in what manner we have received, and for what end we cherish, a knowledge of Divine Truth. We should be careful how we suffer any sentiment of pride on account of it to gain admission into our hearts, not presuming to elevate ourselves in our own conceit above the weakest of our brethren. Humility is the only safe attitude of the soul; and a continual watch over our hearts, joined to that prayer which unceasingly looks to the Lord, is the only security against apostasy.

Supposing we may have fallen into anything of the sin of profaning what is sacred, there is a perpetual operation of the Lords influences, supplying power and inclination to engage in the work of reformation; and this is beautifully expressed by the words with which His exhortation commences, I counsel thee. The Lord indeed counsels us to do what is hero prescribed in every page of His Word, in which the nature and consequences of sin, and the necessity of escaping from it by accepting the Divine aids offered for that purpose, are perpetually insisted on. But this is not all that is implied by the Lords counsel. In a spiritual idea, to counsel not only includes the offering of advice, but the communication of power to obey that advice, and not only the power but the inclination--an inward prompting to attend to the advice offered. Were it not for this continual presence of Divine power and influence, salvation would be impossible, as we would be without anything to counteract the perverse tendency of our own nature, thus would not be in that state of equilibrium in which the essence of freewill consists. As the first agency in the work of our salvation is from the Lord alone, and this agency is universal, the second step in the process depends on ourselves; and without taking it the Lords operation cannot be effectual. This is evident from that which we are counseled to do. I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see. To buy and to anoint evidently intimate operations to be done by us, not of ourselves, indeed, but by virtue of aids from the Lord, which, me have seen, are never withheld.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 106

Trial, too, when applied to spiritual subjects denotes temptation. The necessity here alluded to of purifying gold, is expressive of the mode in which that which gold represents is purified, which is by temptation. It is common to speak of a fiery trial in allusion to anything that puts ones constancy and fidelity to the severest proof; and those temptations are called trials by fire in which the whole lifes love is assaulted. But the reason why the obtaining of this pure gold is mentioned as necessary, is stated to be, that we may be rich; by which we learn that without a principle of genuine goodness there can be no real possession of spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of genuine truth. The knowledges of truth may indeed be entertained in the memory, whilst the life to which they are designed to lead is yet a stranger to the heart; but so long as they have not a more interior abode than this, they are merely lent or borrowed treasures, which will assuredly one day be resumed, leaving us as poor and destitute as if we had never known anything of them, unless we acquire a real interest in them by applying them to their proper use. There is no way of acquiring a real property in the truth we may happen to know, but by procuring from the Lord a life of genuine goodness, by cultivating a real spiritual love to Him and charity to our neighbor, and manifesting them in a blameless and useful life. The next thing described as necessary to be obtained is white raiment, that we may be clothed, and that the shame of our nakedness may not appear. It is said of Adam and his wife that they were naked and were not ashamed, which very expressively describes the state of innocence that thinketh no evil, which is experienced when in every affection and thought man has regard to the Lord, and never looks to self; thus what was experienced by those who lived before man had acquired a selfish nature replete with every evil. Accordingly there is no mention in Scripture of nakedness unaccompanied with shame in relation to any but man in his integrity. Whenever nakedness is afterwards spoken of, it is always connected with the idea, of shame and disgrace. Whenever, therefore, as in the present instance, it is thus mentioned, it represents a state in which man is wholly immersed in the evils of his selfish nature. He is considered as standing in his mere natural selfhood, which is nothing but evil, an object of disgust to all who are elevated above it.

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19. To His counsel the Divine Speaker adds this important declaration, As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. The Divine chastening is the rebuke of Divine Love. How consolatory an assurance! This is one of those Scripture truths that shine out clearly in all its heavenly brightness. But do any halt over as many as I love, as if the Lord loved some, but not all?

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 108

20. If the admonition and exhortation contained in the preceding verse be beautiful, still more, if possible, is the declaration which follows them, Behold, I stand ad the door, and knock: if any man hear My voice, and open the door, I will come into him, and will sup with him, and he with Me. Specially applicable to the state of those who are here treated of, this Divine declaration is of universal interest. There is not perhaps a passage throughout the whole Word of God which declares, in more plain and express terms, the decided truth of heaven relative to a subject of the deepest importance to mankind, nor one to which the attention of the sincere Christian can more profitably be at times directed. The ardor of the Divine Love for mans salvation, and the free agency which enables man to comply with the Divine solicitude on his behalf, are set before him in the clearest light. As if to draw the attention of men to the subject of this address, Jesus says unto them, Behold! Behold, is a call to direct the eyes to some object of importance. The eyes of the mind are the understanding. To introduce any declaration with this exciting call, is to urge the understanding to be particularly attentive to what follows. The object to which our intellectual attention is drawn in this instance is sufficiently important, being no other than the Savior of men standing at the door of mans heart and knocking to obtain admission.

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That the door at which the Lord stands and knocks is the entrance to the mind, is sufficiently clear from the plain tenor of the passage. Doors, on account of their forming the entrance into buildings, are apt emblems of that which introduces anything into the mind. They derive their signification from their use, and as their use is to afford admittance or introduction to a house or chamber, therefore in that language formed of natural images in which the Holy Word is written, they denote introduction or admission. The door has however a more specific meaning. The human mind is so constituted as to be capable of communicating with heaven and with the world--with heaven through the internal man, with the world through the external. Between these is the rational man or reason. This is the seat of his consciousness while he lives in the world, and may thus be called the man himself. This communicates with the internal man, and receives through it influences and perceptions flowing from heaven and the Lord; and below, it communicates with the external man, and receives through it influences from the world, from his own selfish nature, and even from hell. And the points of its communication in both directions are called in symbolic language by the name of doors. The communication by which influences enter from the external man, or from below and without, is meant by the door of which the Lord speaks when He says, But thou when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly; where the closet denotes the interior recesses of the rational mind, and to shut the door is to exclude the influences that rise from the external man and from the world. But the door at which the Lord stands and knocks must denote the communication in the opposite
direction, or the entrance from the internal man or mind into the rational faculty. As it is only by communication from the Lord, as residing in the internal, that man can receive any heavenly graces, so as to accept and make them his own, this door the Lord, in His infinite mercy, condescends to entreat him to open, and knocks at it for the purpose. For although the Lord, with all the treasures of His love and wisdom, has an abode with every one in his internal man, yet none of these treasures become in any respect a mans own, until he freely accepts and appropriates them, confirms them by his reason, and applies himself to regenerate his external man, which by nature is the seat of all evils, and brings it into conformity with the internal.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 110

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 111

21. And now we come to the premise made to the restored of this church. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in My throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with My Father in His throne. As that of the Laodiceans is the most dangerous of all the states professing Christians can be in, the evils connected with it must be the most difficult to overcome. But as is the trial, so is the triumph; as the labor is, so is the reward. The promised blessing to successful conquest is greater here than any that precede. To sit with the Lord in His throne must be the highest elevation and the greatest felicity which a finite being can attain. But mark the parallel in the conditions which lead to them. Those who sit with Him in His throne are such as have triumphed with Him in His temptations. This is the greatest lesson of Christianity, the greatest work of the Christian. To suffer and die with Christ that we may live and reign with Him! He overcame. What did He overcome? He overcame all evil and all the powers of evil. Having assumed our fallen and frail nature, He endured all the trials and temptations to which frail humanity is subject. By overcoming in these conflicts, He reconciled and united His Human to His Divine Nature, and thus sat down with His Father in His throne. Those who overcome, as He did, sit down with Him in His throne, as He is set down in His Fathers throne. The cases are not indeed similar, but analogous. We can never be united to Jesus as His is united to the Father. But how great is the privilege, how unspeakable the blessing, of being exalted to a state and condition, the faintest image of those of the Lord in His Glorified Humanity! Heaven is His throne. His throne is where He reigns, whether in the individual heart or in the universal heaven. And those are nearest to Him in His throne whose hearts are nearest to Him in singleness, purity, and love.

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CHAPTER IV.

1. HAVING seen the Lord, and received a commission to write to the churches, the Seer is favored with a new vision. After this I looked, and, behold, a door was opened in heaven. In the other world outward sight is according to inward perception. John saw an open door in heaven, because a door had been opened in the heaven of his own mind. A door is opened to us in heaven when a heavenly state is opened within us; and we see into heaven when we perceive heavenly things. But John not only saw into heaven, but he heard voices proceeding from it: And the first voice which I heard was as it were of a trumpet talking with me. This voice, first in importance as in order, was not merely a sounding but a speaking voice. Its trumpet tone was expressive of its nature and its power. It was the voice of Divine Truth and Divine Goodness, addressed to the affections as well as to the thoughts of the Seer, to prepare him for the celestial scene he was now to behold. The voice said, Come up hither. He was to ascend into that heaven the door of which he had seen opened to him. Yet ascent in the spiritual world is not through space; it is an elevation of state, of which space there is an appearance. John was called upon to elevate his thoughts and affections, and thus rise into a higher or more interior state of perception, that he might be prepared to receive the revelation which the voice promised him, and I will show thee things which must be hereafter. Things then future wore to pass before him in a series of representative forms.

2. With the call to ascend came the change of state which it demanded, And immediately I was in the Spirit. This, we have seen, is a state in which not only the faculties of the spiritual mind but the senses of the spiritual body are opened, which makes the objects of the spiritual world visible. A sublime sight was now before him. And, behold, a throne was set in heaven, and One sat on the throne. He whom he had seen in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, he new saw seated on a throne. The candlesticks were representative of the Church; the throne is the symbol of judgment. Heaven is indeed Gods throne, as the earth is His footstool. But here the throne is set in heaven, and it is set for judgment. So in the Psalms, Thou satest in the throne judging right (ix. 4). It is important to connect this throne with that which appears in the twentieth chapter, where the judgment itself is described.

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3. John now describes the Divine Judge who sat upon the throne: And He that sat was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone: and there was a rainbow round about the throne, in sight like unto an emerald. This description of the great Judge is so like that given by Moses and the prophets, that we cannot fail to see that they apply to the same Being. The figures vary indeed. One difference between them is remarkable. Moses (Exod. xiv. 10) and Ezekiel (i. 26) speak of a sapphire stone as forming the throne or being under the feet of the Judge; while John speaks of the Judge Himself as being like a jasper and a sardine stone. This difference answers to one which existed before and since the Incarnation. Before the Incarnation heaven was the Lords Humanity. His Divine Truth, when it descended into heaven, clothed itself with an angelic or human form in the minds of angels. Originally it did so also in the minds of men. But sin had marred that form, mans conceptions of the Divine Being having become false and perverted. To supply what no longer existed, and could not otherwise be restored, in the minds of men, the Lord assumed humanity by birth in the world.

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While the Judge was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone, There was a rainbow round about the throne, like unto an emerald. A rainbow round the throne presents an appearance of the light of Divine Truth, proceeding from the Lord as the sun of heaven, as it is reflected, or refracted, in the minds of the angels, forming objectively a circle of glory around Him from whom the light proceeds. But the subject here treated of is judgment, and to this the rainbow has reference. The color of the rainbow, unlike that which we see on earth, is not without a cause and a meaning. In the other world, where all appearances are the outbirths and images of ideas and states of mind, colors express the qualities of affection and thought in those who receive and reflect the light of truth. In the highest heaven, where the truth is received and manifested in love, the prevailing color is red; in the second heaven, where the truth is received and manifested in charity, it is blue; and in the lowest heaven, where the truth is received in faith and manifested in obedience, it is green. Something of this may be seen in the succession of colors in our world. The golden luminaries, the azure airy, and green-robed earth, present some analogy. Our rainbows combine all these colors, red, blue, green.

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4. And round about the throne, whose heaven was spanned by the rainbow, were four and twenty seats (literally thrones): and upon the seats I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white raiment; and they have on their heads crowns of gold. These thrones are also emblematical of judgment. Referring the imagery of the Revelation to the Israelitish church, the elders who sit on these thrones have been supposed to allude to the twenty-four courses into which the priests who attended on the Temple service were divided. This division is mentioned in 1 Chronicles (xxiv. 29), as an order which Aaron instituted by command of God. Zacharias was executing the priests office before God in the order of his course, when the angel appeared to him to give him the promise of a son. As the subject of the present vision is the setting up of the throne for judgment, it is more consistent to understand these elders, seated upon thrones around the throne of the great Judge, as having reference to the elders of Israel, whose function it was to judge, or to the apostles, who were to sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. The number of these elders is different both from that of the elders of Israel and the apostle, though their function is the same. It is the function in fact which is represented. Judgment on the spiritual states and eternal destinies of men can be performed by One only. He who is Omniscient, and knows the hearts of all, is alone able to judge all. These elders, like the apostles, represent all the principles of goodness and truth, or of justice and judgment, derived from the Word, on which heaven and the church are founded, and which are therefore the principles according to which those who have belonged to the church are judged. The number twenty-four has the same spiritual meaning as twelve. Doubling a number does not change the meaning, but exalts it. The number twelve is the symbol of completeness, being expressive of all the principles of goodness and truth in heaven and the church.

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5. The thrones being set, signs appear of the coming Judgment. And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices. The thunderingrs and lightnings of the Lord are represented in Scripture us producing the two effects of judgment, overwhelming the evil and delivering the good. The Psalmist, praising the Lord for his deliverance from his enemies, says, The Lord thundered in the heavens, and the Highest gave His voice; He shot out lightnings, and discomfited them. He delivered me from the strong enemy; He brought me forth also into a large place. He then declares the important truth that the same Divine cause produces opposite effects on the righteous and the wicked, With the merciful Thou wilt show Thyself merciful; with the upright man Thou wilt show Thyself upright; with the pure Thou wilt show Thyself pure; and with the forward Thou wilt allow Thyself froward (xviii. 13-26). In Psalm lxxvii. David says, Thy way, O God, is in the sanctuary. Thou hast with Thine arm redeemed Thy people. The voice of Thy thunder was in the heaven: the lightnings lightened the world: the earth trembled and shook (13-18). Both effects are sometimes mentioned together. The Lord reigneth; let the earth rejoice. Clouds and darkness are round about Him: justice and judgment are the habitation of His throne. A fire goeth before Him, and burneth up His enemies round about. His lightnings enlightened the world. The heavens declare His righteousness, and all the people see His glory. Confounded be all they that serve graven images (Ps. xcvii. 1-7). In these and all other instances thunder and lightning are symbols of the Divine Love and Wisdom which proceed from the Lord through heaven and the Word. According to the distinctive meaning of the ear and the eye, as corresponding to the two principal faculties of the mind, thunder, which is heard, means truth as it affects the will, and lightning, which is seen, means truth as perceived by the understanding.

In relation to the present subject, these sights and sounds are signs of judgment. The state of the Church which renders judgment necessary is analogous to that which produces the thunderstorm. An atmosphere overcharged with electricity restores its equilibrium by an electric discharge which we hear as thunder and see as lightning. A spiritual atmosphere overcharged with evil and error has its equilibrium restored by judgment, which is described in Scripture as the lightning and thunder of the Almighty.

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There is another sign here of love and light after judgment, And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God. In the first chapter we read of there being seven Spirits before the throne, and of the Son of man walking in the midst of seven golden candlesticks, and of holding seven stars in His right hand. In this chapter all these images are combined. In the first chapter the seven Spirits mean the Holy Spirit, the seven stars mean the church in heaven, and the seven candlesticks the church on earth. The seven lamps of fire, which are the seven Spirits, mean both the Holy Spirit and the church in heaven and on earth. And these seven Spirits, like lamps of fire, are mentioned after the thunder, to teach us that judgment is effected to prepare for the formation, by the operation of the Holy Spirit, of a New Church in heaven and on earth when the old has passed away. The New Church is here represented in its origin, and in its first principles and beginning. As the seven lamps before the throne were lamps of fire, we have in this image the union of love and light, both as existing in the Holy Spirit, which was to be produced by its operation, and as characterizing the church. The Spirit assumes, or rather is represented by, different forms, according to the nature of the subject. It descended on Jesus in the form of a dove, to represent purity and innocence, the result of purification; it descended under the appearance of cloven tongues as of fire on the apostles on the day of Pentecost, to show forth their commission to preach the truths of the Gospel under the influence of love to all nations; and here it is represented as lamps of fire, to signify the union of truth and love in which the church originates, and of which it consists.

6. Besides the lamps of fire, Before the throne there was a sea of glass. Much is said in Scripture of the sea. In this prophetic book (xv. 1) there is a sea of glass mingled with fire, and a sea which gives up its dead (xx. 13), and when the new earth is created there is no more sea (xxi. 1). What is meant in these and other instances by the sea?

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 118

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 119

Besides the sea of glass before the throne, In the midst of the throne, and round about the throne, were four beasts full of eyes before and behind. These four beasts are evidently the same as the cherubim, so often mentioned in the Old Testament, and so minutely described in the first chapter of Ezekiel. Their identity will be seen when we come to particulars. Here inquire what is meant by cherubim. These marvelous creatures are not angels. They are still higher in the scale of existence. They are even higher than the elders. They are nearer to the Deity. Not only are they round about the throne, hut are in the midst of it.

What can that be which is in the midst of the throne of God, and yet emanates from it to all around? It can be no other than the Word of God, the Word which the Lord Himself is, and which emanates from Him, as the life of all that live, whether in heaven above or on the earth beneath, and spiritually considered, whether in the church in heaven or in the church on earth. The cherubim are, therefore, called living creatures, from a Hebrew word that signifies life, the same as that from which Eve had her name as the mother of all living. This is also the meaning of the word beast, which would be better rendered animal, as giving the idea of an animated being. In a secondary sense the cherubim symbolize the Lords providence, which is the government of the universe, spiritual and material; for this He exercises by His Divine Truth, which is the Word. The beasts being full of eyes before and behind teaches us that the Lord sees all things from first to last, from the beginning to the end, from eternity to eternity, and is therefore all-provident in His government both of the natural and the spiritual world, and of the temporal and eternal concerns of men. The Lords providence and revelation have two objects, or effect their object, which is order and happiness, by acting in two ways, one by preventing evil, the other by effecting good.

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7. A particular description of the four beasts is now given. The first beast was like a lion, and the second beast like a calf, and the third beast had a face as a man, and the fourth beast was like a flying eagle. This description answers to that of the cherubim in Ezekiel; They four had the face of a man, the face of a lion, the face of an ox, and the face of an eagle. The only difference is, that in the Revelation the calf takes the place of the ox. When the cherubim are seen to symbolize the Word of God, there call be no doubt that the living creatures that form them are intended to represent the different aspects which the Word assumes according to the dispositions, capacities, and states of men, and which it also assumes to the same men in different states of the regenerate life. In Scripture a lion is the symbol of power, a calf of affection, a man of wisdom, an eagle of intelligence. The Word is adapted to all states, from the simplicity of childhood to the wisdom of advanced age. But not merely is the Word adapted to those different conditions of mind, but its truths take these different forms in the minds which receive them, and even in the same mind in successive periods of the regenerate life; and they exist together in minds which have arrived at an advanced stage of religious experience. When the cherubim are understood to mean the Lords providence, then His care over angels and men is presented to our minds by the several animals. But the Lords providence is not exercised only over us but in us; and indeed it is efficacious for our well-being only so far as it can act through our affections and convictions, our charity and faith. It is in our affections and thoughts that the Divine love and truth take those forms which are symbolized by the animal shapes of the cherubim. Yet these shapes are not simply those of known creatures. They are compound, made up of parts that have a symbolic meaning, as now follows.

8. And the four beasts had each of them six wings about him; and they were full of eyes within. The use of wings to the feathered creation guides us to their meaning in relation to Divine and heavenly things.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 121

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 122

They rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come. This unceasing adoration of the Eternal implies a power as unwearied as that of Him who neither slumbers nor sleeps. No creatures, however exalted, could maintain this condition. Only that which is in its essential nature Divine can rest neither day nor night. If we understand the cherubim to represent the Word, we can see the propriety of the description. The Word is Divine. It comes from God and returns to Him again. It brings God down to angels and men, and raises angels and men up to God. It reveals the Divine will and wisdom to finite and dependent beings, and leads them to worship and serve the Lord in return. Yet it is not they that worship and serve the Lord; it is the Lord, by His Spirit and Word, who turns them to Himself. In this the Word rests not day and night. This language is evidently figurative; for there is no night where the cherubim are found, in and around the throne. But there are different and alternate states in the church, both in heaven and in the world. There are states of comparative lucidity and obscurity in the experience of all finite creatures. No created being call continue for ever in one unvarying state of exalted devotion. The human mind, even in heaven, must have alternations of state.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 123

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 124

9-11. And when these four beasts give glory and thanks to Him that sat on the throne, Who liveth for ever and ever, the four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne. The elders represent the principles of eternal truth or justice, according to which judgment is effected, and also those who are in the wisdom which these principles produce, and therefore those who are nearest to the throne of God. The elders are described as worshipping in unison with the cherubim. The four beasts give glory and honor and thanks, and the elders fall down and worship. They, too, give thanks, and in the same terms, but they add to their ascription of praise the reason in which their praise is grounded. If we regard this description as applicable to the Church triumphant, and which may be understood of the Church universal, we learn this important truth, that the worship of the Church is consentaneous with the worship of the Word, and is derived from its teaching. As, when the four beasts give glory to God, the four and twenty elders fall down and worship Him; so do the faithful follow the teaching of the Word, and worship Him. The worship of angels and men is indeed the effect of the truth and love which they have received from the Lord through the Word; so that the Word is the power which moves all in heaven and earth to render homage to the Great Author of their being find their mercies. There is this difference between the homage of the beasts and of the elders. The beasts lift up their voices in glorification to Him who sits on the throne, hut the elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and cast their crowns before the throne. With the elders there is humiliation and self-abnegation. The true worshiper acknowledges from the heart that in himself he is nothing but evil, and that all his wisdom and glory we the gift of God, and should be cast before His throne, as justly belonging to Him who bestowed them. For although the gifts of God are freely given, yet they are not like earthly gifts that can be separated from the giver. Spiritual gins live only in connection with Him who bestows them; and therefore constant humility and a sense of dependence are necessary for the preservation of whatever has been received from on high. The elders ascribe to the Lord glory and honor and power. Where the elders ascribe power, the cherubs give thanks. In the attributes ascribed to the Lord we have again the trine that pervades the Word; for glory is predicated of Divine truth, honor of Divine good, and power of their united operation.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 125

None but those who believe nature to be God, or who believe in no God above nature, will refuse to join in the confession, Thou hast created all things. The acknowledgment of a First Cause is universal, both within and beyond the Church, and is only denied by those who have rejected the common faith of mankind. But there is a point that is of much importance to those who acknowledge a Creator, as He has revealed Himself to us in the Scriptures, which is, the Divine purpose in creation. The elders say that all things were created and continue to exist for the pleasure of Him who created them. Some understand this to mean that God created them for His own glory; and of the Divine glory men are liable to thing very much as they think of human glory, or rather of that false glory which natural men value and pursue, and which is only self-glory. True glory is the luster of good deeds; and good deeds are such as benefit others, not merely those who do them. We cannot suppose the Divine glory to be lower than true human glory, nor His works to be less purely benevolent than the deeds of good men. The Divine Being could not create and cannot preserve His works for any other end than to make His creatures happy. His own glory cannot be promoted or secured by anything but this. He can have no love of glory for His own sake; He can only be glorified in giving glory to those whom He has made. The language of the elders is sufficient to teach us this very important truth. The pleasure of God can only be the love of God. Finite beings have pleasure in what satisfies the desires of their hearts; and the hearts of the good are influenced by virtuous love--the love of what is good and pure and holy. The pleasure of the Lord can only be in the happiness of His creatures. The Psalmist; says, Let the Lord be magnified, that hath pleasure in the prosperity of His servants (Ps. xxxv. 37). And this is indeed the subject of the words we are now considering in their spiritual meaning. Spiritual creation is the creation of a new heart and of a right spirit in the children of men. This forms the grand theme of thanksgiving in heaven and the church.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 126

CHAPTER V.

IN chapter xx. there is an account of judgment. The dead, small and great, stand before God, and the books are opened, and another book, which is the Book of Life, is opened, and the dead are judged out of the things written in the books. This event, and the means by which it is effected, now begin to unfold themselves; and to one and the chief of these means our attention is drawn in the progress of the vision, as recorded in the present chapter.

1. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. The volume of the book, which is here rolled up and sealed, may be understood as a figure of the book of Gods remembrance, in which the actions of all are recorded, and which are disclosed in the day of judgment. But the book in which all are written is no other than the book of books, the Word of God, out of which all are judged. This will appear more clearly when we come to treat of the judgment.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 127

2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof? If, as the result shows, no finite power was able to open the seals, why should this proclamation have been made? Several reasons might be assigned. Although finite power cannot open the seals, finite power can close them. The Word is closed, its true meaning is lost, by the sinfulness and errors of men. And when once it is sealed, Divine power only can open it. And to convince men, and make this truth evident before heaven and earth, or before the church in both worlds, the proclamation is made. This form of making that important truth evident, is representative.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 128

3. And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. The form in which the negation of power is here expressed is intended in a general sense to include all degrees of finite existence, from the highest in heaven to the lowest upon earth.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 129

4. John tells us the effect this woeful result had upon him. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. Johns sorrow foreshadow the sorrow of those whom John represented. John here represents those who, at the end of the church, when the Word has become a sealed book, still retain some of Johns love, and lament the darkness and evil that prevail. The prophet Jeremiah expressed the deepest grief when he contemplated a similar condition of the Israelitish church, when the harvest was past, the summer was ended, and they were not saved, Oh that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, that I might weep day and night for the slain of the daughter of my people! (Jer. ix. 1). But we have the assurance that while weeping may endure for a night, joy cometh in the morning. The night of the church had caused John to weep; morning now dawned upon him.

5. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. The one who prevailed is the Lord the Savior. It is sufficient at present to speak of the titles by which He is announced. His omnipotence is meant by the Lion.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 130

6, 7. With this consolation came the effect. And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne. There can be no question that the Lamb is the Lord Jesus; but it is important to consider the position He holds in relation to Him who sat upon the throne. From the outward representation it would scorn as if the Savior, as the Lamb, were a different being or person from Him who sat upon file throne; for He comes and takes the book out of His hand. Yet the vision directs our attention to a circumstance that is inconsistent with this idea. The Lamb is seen in the midst of the throne on which the Almighty is seated, and in the midst of the four beasts which are in and around the throne. In the Gospels we hear of the Son sitting on the right hand of the Father, but here He is in the midst of the throne itself. All these representations are intended to express spiritual ideas, and not to present literal facts. And when we regard the Father and the Son, and God and the Lamb, as being the Divinity and the Humanity of the God and Savior of men, we can see the deep significance that lies concealed under these representations. The right hand of God is His power; and the Sons sitting on the right hand of the Father means that the Lords Humanity is exalted to the right hand of power; as the Lord Himself expressed it, or to that which the right hand of power signifies; and further, that the Lords Divinity exercises all power by His Humanity. The same idea is presented in another form, and by another kind of imagery, in the present case. The King who sits on the throne holds a book in His right hand, and the Lamb comes out of the midst of the throne and takes the book out of His hand. Is not this designed to teach the same truth--that the Lords Humanity is that by which the power of His Divinity is exercised? The Divinity of the Lord is indeed the source of all the blessings which heaven and the church enjoy, but they come to us through the Humanity.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 131

But there is another interior truth included in this. The Lord is represented as a Lamb to express His innocence; for He is essential innocence, and the Author of all innocence in angels and men. When His ignorance is not received by the members of the church, the Lord is slain; for innocence is the inmost principle of the church, as it is the inmost principle of heaven. Thus, then, the appearance of the Lords Humanity as a Lamb as it had been slain, is intended to represent the rejection of the Lord as the Supreme Being and the Fountain of all life, and as being Himself life in its essence and origin. And He is so as to His very Humanity; for the Lord Himself declared, when on earth, As the Father hath life in Himself, so hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself (John v. 26). Yet the Lamb is not represented as being then dead. So far from this, He is described as having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God. Horns are the emblems of power, and eyes of intelligence. And as in the Lord these are Divine, they mean, in His case, omnipotence and omniscience. The Lord in His Humanity is the omnipotent and omniscient God. And His eyes are the seven Spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. His eyes behold, His eyelids try, the children of men. But His power and His wisdom are employed for the defense and enlightenment of His church, in its various degrees and states of perfection--the sevenfold order in which it is in so many ways represented in this part of the vision. The Divine Spirit is sent forth into all the earth, for it flows from the Lord as truly and impartially as light flows from the sun, but in a special way it flows into the members of the church, which is spiritually meant by the earth.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 132

8. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lam, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odors, which are the prayers of saints. Whether we regard the beasts and the elders as symbolizing the principles of the Word, or those in heaven who first and more immediately receive them, the worship which they now offer to the Lamb strikingly shows the Supreme Divinity of the Lord Jesus. And not only they, but all beings, Every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, fall down before the Lord in His Divine Humanity. Could any declaration more entirely convince us of the Lords title to the worship of all finite and dependent beings? But apart from this dogmatic truth, there are considerations that affect more nearly those who need a Savior, as well as those who know and acknowledge a God. The subject here presented relates to the worship of the Lord for the blessings of redemption. Worship has two great uses, to humble the worshiper, and exalt the object worshiped. Humiliation consists in a state, not in an act. We may bow down in worship, and rise up as high-minded as we were before. True humiliation before God is humble-mindedness. As we cannot love God and hate our neighbor, we cannot be humble before God and imperious to our neighbor. As outward humility in worship is nothing without a meek and humble spirit, the exaltation of the Lord in worship is nothing without the exaltation of His love and truth in our hearts and minds. Outward worship is intended to aid us in acquiring these inward graces, and only so far as it does this is it true and useful devotion. If we regard this worship of the Universal Church as that of humanity in its largest aspect, we may apply the representation to ourselves individually as images of the greatest. Then in the throne we may see the government of the Lords love and truth in our inmost heart. In the beasts we may see the Word as it contains and unfolds the principles of the Lords government. In the elders we may see the highest or celestial affections and perceptions of love and wisdom in the mind.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 133

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 134

9, 10. With the music and incense of their holy affections, they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by Thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. The theme of this song is new in two respects. The Incarnation brought the Lord before heaven and the church in a new character, for redemption was a now work, as great as that of creation. But the Lord and His redemption had been lost to the church. The Lamb had been slain, His book ]lad been sealed. This is the state of the church to which the Revelation of John refers. Now, however, the Lamb takes the book, and is about to open the seals; and the numberless worshipers, who raise to Him a new song of praise, represent the Universal Church, as redeemed from error, and inspired with the desire of rendering to the Lord the glory due to Him, as the Author of their deliverance and salvation. The song is also new as having for its theme the Last Judgment and the Lords Second Advent. And as the Second Advent is attended with the new opening of the human mind, which enables men spiritually to perceive the Lords spiritual Coming, the song of the worshipers of the Lamb is new Individually also this song is new, when all that is here represented becomes in the worshiper matter of personal experience. The elders and others praise the Lamb, in this new song, because He had been slain, and had redeemed them to God by His blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. Regarded in its relation to the Second Advent, the Lord is praised on the ground that, although He had been slain in the church by the denial of His sole Divinity and the Divinity of His Humanity, He had, nevertheless, redeemed His church from the dominion of this cardinal error and the evils which had resulted from it. The blood by which He had redeemed them is His Divine Truth. The shedding of His blood on the cross was indeed necessary for redemption; for the passion of the cross was the lest temptation, in which the powers of darkness were overcome, and the work of redemption was completed. But the blood of the Lord, as an ever-living principle which has saving power, is His Divine Truth, which delivers and purifies those who receive it. It redeems us to God. The Humanity of the Lord is the Redeemer, but His Divinity is that to which we are redeemed. The Divine nature assumed the human to effect what pure Divinity could not have accomplished. As, again, the Son is the Divine. Truth, and the Father is the Divine Love, Divine Truth redeems us from error and evil, and brings us to the Divine Love, which is the source of all blessing and happiness; and those who are redeemed are redeemed out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 135

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 136

11, 12. Another order of celestial beings now come into view. And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders. These angels form a circle beyond the beasts and the elders. And as what is exterior means also what is inferior, or lower, these angels are they who form a lower heaven than that which is represented by the elders. The number of these angels is ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. Number in Scripture signifying quality rather than quantity, the character rather than the number of the angels is meant. There are two numbers mentioned, myriads and thousands, and they signify, the larger number truth, and the smaller number good. When two multiplied numbers, a greater and a less which have a like signification, are mentioned together, the lesser number is predicated of good, and the greater of truth, because every good consists of many truths, for good is formed from truths, and hence good is produced by truths. These angels John heard saying with a loud voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing. Like the elders, they praise the Lamb which was slain, as worthy to receive power. Denied and rejected by the fallen church, they ace in Him that Being to whom all Divine attributes belong. Power, and riches, and wisdom are omnipotence, omniscience, and providence; honor and glory are all goodness and truth; and blessing is eternal felicity. The Lamb is said to be worthy to receive these, that is, to have them ascribed to Him as their true Possessor, and the Giver of them to heaven and the church, so far as these are able to receive.

13. After the innumerable company of angels, the song of praise is taken up by another class of worshipers. And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Blessing, and honor, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. These are not called angels, but creatures. In the religious sense creatures are those who are in the capacity of becoming, or have become, new creatures; here they mean those who have been reformed in the world, or created anew, but have not attained to the high state of those called angels. They consist of three classes, those in heaven, on the earth, and in the sea.

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14. When the glorification of the Lamb, which had begun with those within and nearest the throne, and descended through all gradations of finite being to the lowest creatures of God, and the last sound of the glorious anthem had been uttered, but before it had died away, the four beasts said, Amen. The song of praise ends with those who commenced it. The song came out from the cherubim within the throne. And the Word which dictated the theme and inspired the song now responds to it with a solemn Amen. That which proceeds from the Lord through His Word should return to Him again, and receive His Divine approval. And only when the Word can answer our prayers and praises with Amen, can they be true and efficacious. Every act that is complete forms a circle. It returns into itself. It ends where it began. After descending from the inmost of the soul through the mind into the body, it ascends into the inmost of the soul again, there awakening a new responsive action, and producing a new state of humility and inward life, inscribing life eternal on the table of the heart.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 138

CHAPTER VI.

IN the last chapter the book sealed with seven seals was taken by the Lamb out of the hand of Him who ant upon the throne; the present is occupied with the opening of six of the seals.

1. And I saw when the lamb opened one of the seals; and I heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. Although the Revelation as a whole does not describe the successive states of the church, but discloses its final state at the time of the end, yet there are particular parts of the book that give a glimpse of the successive stages of its decline. The present chapter is one of these. Yet even here the vision is only incidentally historical, from being coincident with the disclosure of the states of those who had belonged to the church in the successive periods of its existence. In this respect the opening of the first four seals describes the state of the church, as to its understanding of the Word, from its first and best state, when truth was in its purity and power, to its last and worst state, when truth had lost its life of love. In regard to the opening of the seals of the book, as part of the preparation for the judgment which was to follow, the Lord opens the seals in revealing the states of men, and the state of the church as composed of those who make profession of the religion which the Word contains. When the first seal was opened, John heard, as it were the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see. The noise of thunder which followed the opening of this seal implies the responsive action of the inmost heaven. Thunder, which affects the ear, is Divine Truth as it affects the will. Divine Truth in its power is also meant by the voice of the beast, which sounded like thunder. Of the four beasts which invited angels and men to Come and see, the first was a lion, the emblem of truth in its power. The opening of the first seal has a peculiar importance, not merely from the view which it disclosed, but for its being the beginning of the wonders which resulted from the unsealing of the book. It broke the silence which had rested upon the closed volume; and the thunder-sound of the first voice, which proclaimed its being opened, rolled through the whole heaven, and descended even to the church on earth, impressing the universal mind with the idea of some great work impending, while the invitation to Come and see called all who had ears to hear to turn their minds attentively to the revelation about to be made. This revelation comes in the symbol which follows.

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2. And I saw, and behold a white horse; and He that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto Him; and He went forth conquering and to conquer. We may here remark that the opening of the seals discloses, not what the Word of God contains, but what it reveals respecting the states of the church, and of those who had belonged to it, or who were to be judged according to what is written in the book. The first four seals disclose four horses of different colors, with riders of different characters; and they decrease in excellence, from the white horse, whose rider is a Conqueror, to the pale horse, whose rider is Death. If we regard these as representing four classes of persons on whom the judgment was to be effected, the series represents them all, from the best to the worst. And as these represent all who have belonged to the church, from its beginning to its end, they represent also the successive states of the church. To see the nature of these states, we must know the meaning of the symbols. What is the Scripture meaning of the horse? Animals, we have seen, are employed in Scripture as emblems of even the Divine attributes. How much more may they be employed as emblems of human qualities and powers? The horse, the noblest of all animals, represents the noblest of mans powers--his understanding. It is well known that the word discourse is derived from one that means to run to and fro, so that an act of the mind is expressed by a word that means a corresponding act of the body. It is on this ground that the horse, which carries us with rapidity and power, is an emblem of the understanding; and was so regarded in ancient times by profane as well as by the sacred writers. The winged horse of Greek mythology was evidently an emblem of the understanding of truth, or intelligence. Sprung from the blood of the slain Medusa, employed by Bellerophon to aid him in killing the chimaera, opening with a stroke of his hoof the fountain of the muses in Mount Helicon, and finally ascending to take his place among the stars,--can we fail to see in him an emblem of heaven-derived intelligence? Nor were these myths the pure inventions of a heathen nation, but the moulded traditions of an ancient church, being in their origin, if not in their nature, sacred. As the horse symbolizes the understanding, the horses which came out of the book when the seals were opened symbolize the understanding of the Word at different periods of the church, and as it is in different minds.

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On the white horse was one who had a bow. The rider on the white horse is one who understands the truth and loves it; and the bow which He had in His hand is the emblem of doctrine. Truths are meant by arrows; and doctrine is to truth what the bow is to the arrow, it sends it to its mark, and gives it the force which makes it pierce the heart of the Kings enemies. Doctrine is a most important instrument in relation to the truths of the Word. The Word cannot be rightly understood without doctrine. The truth is not delivered in Scripture as a system, and much of it consists of apparent truth, or truth expressed according to the state of intelligence at the time of its revelation. The letter of the Word consists partly of genuine and partly of apparent truths. True doctrine is necessary to enable us to distinguish between these two forms of truth, and to draw our systems and creeds from the genuine truths of the Word, and explain its apparent by its genuine truths. As no one can rightly understand the Word without doctrine, no one without doctrine can rightly employ the truths of the Word either to build up a true faith or oppose a false one. One who cannot see the distinction between genuine and apparent truth cannot clearly see the difference between truth and error; since error for the most part consists of apparent truths adopted and confirmed as genuine truths. How can a church that does not itself know Gods truth combat successfully against the errors and evils of the world? And still more important; how, in such circumstances, the members of the church combat successfully against error in their own understandings and evil in their own hearts? And if one cannot discern and overthrow the errors find evils of his own mind, how can he become spiritually minded? The Christian Church, so long se its understanding of the Scripture was clear and its doctrine sound, was like the rider on the white horse; it went forth conquering and to conquer.

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3, 4. The first and best state of the understanding of the Word is followed by one which indicates the commencement of declension. And when He had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see. And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword. As white is the emblem of truth, red is the emblem of love. But there are two kinds of love, natural and spiritual; and when natural love is separated from spiritual, if is evil. Red is here to be understood as the type of evil love, for his rider takes away peace, and causes discord and division. The going out of this red horse describes what may be regarded as the first state of the churchs decline, when the passions of men began to be inflamed with a love less pure than charity, with the love of their own opinions rather than the love of truth. It is known that early in the Christian Church, soon after the death of the apostles, this first sign of corruption and division began to appear. Not error, but evil, is the first active power in the decline of every church, as of every man.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 142

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 143

5, 6. And when He had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse: and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand. And I heard a voice in the midst of the four beasts say, A measure of wheat for a penny, and three measures of barley for a penny; and see thou hurt not the oil and the wine. This describes a second stage in the decline of the church. The first is a departure from goodness and charity; the second is a departure from truth and faith. This has been the order of religious declension in every church which has existed in the world; the church has gone on from the blood of Abel to the blood of Zecharias. First charity, then faith, disappears from the earth--the church. As good is the firstborn in the rising church, evil is the firstborn in the declining church. When evil has once obtained an active existence in the church and in the mind, error follows as a consequence. For as truth condemns evil, its censures must first be denied or explained away, and then principles of faith must be adopted that sanction evil, or what is the same, that do away with the necessity of goodness as a condition of salvation. The red horse is therefore followed by a black one. As the white horse, which appeared first, symbolized truth, the black horse symbolizes error. The red horse signifies that the church had lost the true understanding of the Word in regard to the Good which it teaches; and the black horse means that the church has lost the true understanding of the Word in regard to the truth which it teaches. First the will is seduced, then the understanding; first the affections, then the reason; or, to go back to the primeval symbolism, first Eve is deceived, then Adam. This may be further inferred from the third beast, which calls the church to come and see the black horse; for this animal had the face of a man, as the second had the face of a calf. The calf is the type of affection; the man is the symbol of reason, the perversion of which marks the present stage of the churchs declension. The destruction of the true understanding of the Word, in regard to the truth which it teaches, being now treated of, the sequel directs us to the nature of its results. To express this a voice proceeds from the midst of the throne, or of the four beasts. We have seen that the four beasts were themselves within as well as around the throne. And as the four beasts, especially as they are within the throne, symbolize the Word, the midst of the beasts means the inmost of the Word. This announcement is therefore from the Word itself, and thus from its essential truth as expressed in its spiritual sense.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 144

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 145

7, 8. And when He had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him; and power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth. In the pale horse and his rider who can fail to see the extinction of all that belongs to the Word as the Book of Life, and the death of the life-giving principles which it reveals? The pale horse symbolizes the understanding of the Word destroyed. The word pale several times in the Scriptures means green, as green grass (v111. 7). It is derived from a word that means the first tender shoots of grass, which are pale colored. The color of this horse may therefore be supposed to include the idea of life being arrested at an early age of the Christian Church, and its further growth and development prevented. If we consider this in connection with the wheat and barley, spoken of in the preceding verses, we may see a very significant allusion to the deprivation of life. Not only is the old corn of the land wasted, but the first shoots of the promised harvest are destroyed. And as the wheat and barley were sold of men are killed with hunger. How expressive, yet how awful, the for little, now the souls of image now presented to us! The rider of this horse was Death. The extinction of all right understanding of the Word of God carries death into the church, and into the human mind.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 146

Those four manifestations of the state of the church in relation to its understanding of the Word are very instructive, both from their signification and from the place in the prophecy which they occupy. They describe the understanding of the Word as it was in the primitive age of the church, when the truth was known in its purity, and exerted its power. This was the first state of the church. The second state of the church was when she began to decline from her primitive purity, but from love and charity rather than from faith. As evil leads to error, the next stage in the decline of the church was a departure from true doctrine, which led to a misunderstanding of the nature and means of spiritual life. And the last stage was one in which evil and error had taken the place of goodness and truth, when in consequence all true understanding of the Word was lost, and Death and Hell rode unresisted over the face of the earth, with universal ruin and desolation in their train. This description is placed at the very beginning of the prophecy, so far as it relates to the progress of events, because all the evils and calamities of the church have their beginning in corrupting the good and truth of the Scriptures.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 147

9. The opening of the next seal shows a continuation of the state which we have now considered. And when He had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held. Death had killed, and Hades had swallowed up the fourth part of men; and here we find the souls of them that were slain under the altar, crying for deliverance. As the corruption and misuse of the Word of God has been described by the vision of the four horses, those under the altar are said to have been slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held amid the prevailing corruption. The altar, under which these slain and longing souls are bound, is in that region of the spiritual world which is neither heaven nor hell, but the hades of the Scriptures and of the early church. In course of time this was corrupted into purgatory. Purgatory is the middle state, so explained as to make it an engine of priestly rule and aggrandizement. Like heaven and hell, hades is a state, and thence a place. It is the state of those who have passed out of the world before they enter their final abode in heaven or hell. The middle state is a result of the law to which man is subject, that change of state is not effected suddenly, but gradually. The middle state is not probationary, but only preparatory. Probation ends with this life, and the souls state at death continues to eternity. All that the souls temporary residence in the middle state effects, or is designed to effect, is the removal of whatever is not in unison with the essential state of the mind, as determined by its ruling love. The internal life is never changed. All that is effected in the middle state is to bring the external into conformity with the internal. The oneness of these is heaven or hell. In ordinary circumstances this unity is soon effected. But in some cases the process is prolonged, and even arrested. This is the case when the church on earth has become corrupted. Truth and error, and even good and evil, become so mixed in the minds of its members, that they cannot, under existing circumstances, be separated. Like the wheat and the tares, they must grow together until the harvest. This is the general judgment. Such a judgment takes place at the end of every church, which has been supposed to be the end of the world. When the time of judgment draws near, preparation is made for its accomplishment. An essential part of that preparation consists in opening the book out of which all are to be judged.

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10. These are the souls that cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost Thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? The souls under the altar being those in the middle state who had maintained their faith in the Word of God and in the Son as the Divine Man; those who had slain them are those of an opposite character, who were also in the middle state, and there opposed themselves to the faithful, who had found shelter and safety under the altar of worship dedicated to the only God, the Lord Jesus Christ. The loud or great voice which these holy ones wise is the voice of love or goodness, which greatness signifies. They cry to the Lord, How long!

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11. The first answer to their prayer was that white robes were given unto every one of them. They received from the Lord pure and holy truth. This was what they required. Those who had suffered for conscience sake had suffered from a defect of truth in the church. That defect was now supplied. But their deliverance was not yet. It was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. We have here a very striking evidence that tribulation cannot be brought to an end until the iniquity which produces it is full; for this would heal a wound superficially, while enclosing impurities that would cause it to break out again, and so prolong and increase the disease. God sees not as man sees; He knows the times and the seasons. The states of the good and of the evil must be fulfilled together. This double fulfillment brings out the ultimate result, which is the separation of the evil and the good, and the consignment of each to their own place. All the Lords works, including the work of judgment, are done according to the laws of Divine order, which are grounded in mercy as well as justice. Divine Omniscience saw that all truth and goodness would be destroyed in the church, and that then the end would come: and these principles are meant by the fellow-servants and brethren of the supplicants, and their destruction is meant by their being killed.

12-14. The opening of the sixth seal discloses the end, not the judgment itself, but the end or complete subversion of the church.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 150

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 151

15-17. In this state of dissolution the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bond man, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. The persons disclosed by the opening of this seal are very different from those shown by the opening of the preceding one. These flee to the dens and rocks to hide themselves from the face of the Judge; those under the altar desire and pray for His coming to judgment. Those were the meek and oppressed; these were the lofty and the oppressors, with their subjects and dependants. In the spiritual sense kings symbolize those who are in truth; great men those who are in good; rich men those who are in the knowledge of truth; chief captains those who are in the knowledge of good; mighty men those who are learned; the bond those who know from others; and the free those who know from themselves. This is their signification in the genuine sense. But here the kings and others are to be understood in the opposite sense, in which error takes the place of truth and evil of good, in which knowledge is perverted, and learning is employed to confirm what is false, and the people, both the bond and the free, love to have it so. All these are represented as hiding themselves in the dens and rocks of the mountains, upon which they call to fall on them, and hide them from the face of Him that sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. This state of terror and apprehension is not caused by any severity or wrath on the Lords part. He is love itself and wisdom itself, and never willingly afflicts the children of men. It is evil that slays the wicked. Their opposition, or the contrariety of their state, to the Divine purity and light is that which causes them to suffer torment. The sufferings of the evil arise from their coming into conflict with the Lords love and wisdom, when these act directly upon them, as in the time of judgment. Hence they desire to escape the direct rays of the Sun of Righteousness, and therefore hide themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains. These are the same mountains that had been removed out of their places; and when love to God is removed out of its place, it becomes perverted into the love of self; and the dens and rocks of the mountains of self-love are the evils and falsities that belong to that love; and in these the evil seek shelter from the judgments of God.

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CHAPTER VII.

IT has often been remarked that the imagery of the Book of Revelation is to a great extent taken from the Israelitish Church. In clothing the last prophecy respecting the future states of the Christian Church in the symbolism of the Jewish economy, which was one of types and shadows, the Author of the Revelation has given at once a proof of its symbolic character and a key to its interpretation.

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1. And after these things I saw four angels standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow on the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree. The four angels represent the whole angelic heaven, and the four corners of the earth the whole world of spirits. In that portion which now follows, we read much of the descent of angels from heaven, and the ascent of spirits from hell, as if both were contending for the possession of this middle region, and of those who occupy it. And this in fact is the case, especially so at the time of impending judgment. Angels desire to raise all to heaven, evil spirits desire to drag all down to hell. Angels are employed by the Lord to throw the shield of their protection around the righteous; yet they can only protect and preserve those on whom they can lay hold through the good that is in them. And when they have set the seal of God upon their foreheads, no evil power call hurt them. The angels holding the four winds is descriptive of a function which heaven exercises and a use it performs in regard to the good who are to pass under the judgment. The wind is a common emblem of the Spirit of God, The wind bloweth where it listeth,... so is every one that is born of the Spirit. We read also of the four winds being called upon to breathe upon the slain, on receiving which they lived, and stood upon their feet, an exceeding great army (Ezek. xxxvii. 9, 10). Angels, as ministering spirits, or instruments by whom the Holy Spirit operates, are called by the same name. The Lord maketh His angels spirits, literally, winds (Ps. civ. 4). On the day of Pentecost the Spirit came from heaven as a rushing mighty wind. But the apostles were in a state to bear the outpouring of the Spirit in its might.

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2, 3. While the four angels held the four winds, John saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea, saying, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads. The character of this angel differs from that of the others. They stand on the four corners of the earth, he ascends from the rising sun; they hold the winds, he carries the Divine seal. There are two kinds of angels, who represent the Lord as to the two essentials of His nature, Wisdom and Love. The four angels represent the Divine Wisdom; the angel from the rising sun represents the Divine Love. Those angels, therefore, who had the control of the four winds are representatives and instruments of the Lords Wisdom, and he who ascended from the rising sun is a representative and instrument of the Lords Love. It is love that makes and merits the children of the living Good; for love is life, and the Lord lives in those only who are principled in love to Him. The angel that ascended from the rising sun cried with a loud voice, Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees. The four angels, we have seen, represent the Divine Wisdom; the angel from the rising sun represents the Divine Love. We have here another instance of the way in which the essential attributes of the Lord operate. Love acts through wisdom, wisdom acts from love.

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4. And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand of all the tribes of the children of Israel. The twelve tribes of Israel, it is almost needless to say, do not here mean the carnal but the spiritual Israel. They evidently symbolize the Lords true church, or those who had served the Lord faithfully in the church on earth, and were now to be received into the church in heaven. But it is not sufficient to know that the twelve tribes of Israel mean the Lords church. We must know what the church itself means. We know not the real truth on this or any other sacred subject till we view it abstractly. The church essentially consists of principles, and of persons who have made those principles the essence and guide of their life. The twelve tribes of Israel represented, and here signify, all the principles of the church, or all the graces and virtues that form the kingdom of God in the human mind. They mean persons, it is true, but they mean the persons whose hearts are the throne and whose lives are the support of these principles. The principles of the church are few and simple. They are contained in the two commandments, To love God above all things, and our neighbor as ourselves. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. What the law and the prophets teach, the Gospel confirms. Jesus came not to destroy, but to fulfil. He magnified the law and made it honorable, not that it should be set aside, but that it might be exalted and honored by His disciples. These principles constitute the church; yet they are received and practiced in different degrees by the members of the church; this produces a variety in the state and character of those of whom the church consists; and it causes variety of condition and relative place even in heaven itself. Heaven is not a promiscuous throng, but a perfectly organized body, in which every member has his place, and in that place finds his proper function and use and his highest happiness. Heaven is in the best sense the Lords mystical body, of which all the individuals are members. As in the body, so in heaven, there are general divisions and particular distinctions. These we shall see brought out in the sealing of the twelve tribes; for these symbolize the church and heaven, as formed of those who have the principles of the church and heaven within them.

The numbers sealed out of all and each of the tribes are evidently mystical. Numbers are expressive not so much of quantity as of quality.

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5-8. There is now an enumeration of the tribes out of which the twelve times twelve thousand were sealed. The twelve tribes of the Revelation are different in two respects from the twelve tribes of the Old Testament; the tribes themselves are different, and the order in which they are named is different. In all the series the first and the last are the most important; for these give a character to all the others that come between. In the entire series of the tribes, as enumerated by John, Judah is the first, and Benjamin is the last. Judah represents the principle of love, and Benjamin represents the principle of truth in act, or truth conjoined to love. This connection between Judah and Benjamin was represented in their historical connection, when these two tribes formed together the kingdom of Judah, after the ten tribes revolted and formed the kingdom of Israel. The new heaven, formed of those sealed out of the twelve tribes, takes its character from that principle which forms its most prominent or essential part. Love to the Lord pervades it, and forms its ruling characteristic.

In the form of heaven, so to speak, there is a repetition of the same order, descending through its several degrees; for that which is first reproduces itself in every lower degree in which it exists, till it closes in the last, on which it rests as on a foundation. In every degree of a series there are three constituent elements. In philosophical language these are end, cause, and effect; in spiritual language, they are love, wisdom. and use; or, goodness, truth, and obedience; or, charity, faith, and works. Taking the tribes by threes, they all have relation to these principles as they exist in a series. Heaven consists of two kingdoms; and in each kingdom there is an internal and external part. The first six tribes describe those who form the Lords celestial kingdom, and the other six tribes describe those who form His spiritual kingdom. Taken in threes, the first three are those who constitute the internal, and the second three are those who constitute the external, of the celestial kingdom, and the last two threes are those who constitute the internal and the external of the: spiritual kingdom.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 157

The particular meaning of the twelve tribes, as here numbered, will shed light on the constitution and character of heaven, as formed of those whom the sealed out of the twelve tribes represented. The first three tribes sealed are Judah, Reuben, and Gad; and the second three are Aser, Nepthalim, and Manasses. These represent the internal and the external of the Lords celestial kingdom. The internal of that kingdom is love to the Lord, and its external is mutual love. Love to the Lord is represented by Judah, and mutual love is represented by Aser. But every love has its consort, and every marriage has its fruits. The consort of love to the Lord is wisdom, and the fruit of their union is use: the consort of mutual love is perception, and the fruit of their union is good works; the consort of charity is faith, and the fruit of their union is obedience; the consort of natural affection is knowledge, and the fruit of their union duty.

There are several aspects in which the twelve tribes may be viewed, as there are several aspects in which heaven and the church and the regenerate man may be regarded. There is the distinction of the entire heaven into three heavens and two kingdoms; and there is a distinction of the whole heaven and the church into internal and external. As representing the two kingdoms of which heaven consists, the twelve tribes are to be considered as consisting of two divisions, each containing six tribes, of which the first six represent the celestial kingdom, and the other six represent the spiritual kingdom. As representing the three particular heavens, of which the whole heaven consists, the twelve tribes are to be considered as consisting of four divisions of three tribes each. The first three tribes represent the highest heaven, the second three represent the middle heaven, and the next three represent the lowest heaven, the last three representing the connecting mediums between the Lord and each heaven, and between the three heavens themselves. Of the last three tribes, Zabulon represents those who form the conjoining medium between the highest heaven and the Lord, Joseph represents those who form the conjoining medium between the middle heaven and the Lord, and the tribe of Benjamin represents those who form the conjoining medium between the lowest heaven and the Lord. Under that still more universal distinction of internal and external, which takes in both the church in heaven and the church on earth, and both the Christian and the heathen world, the internal consists of the twelve tribes, and the external consists of the great multitude which no man could number.

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The existence of three distinct heavens results from there being three distinct degrees in the human mind; for heaven, as the Grand Man, is analogous to heaven in the individual man. These degrees of the human mind, which answer to the three heavens, are successively opened or developed by regeneration. The opening of the first or lowest degree makes the regenerate inhabitants of the first or lowest heaven; the opening of the second degree makes them inhabitants of the second or middle heaven; and the opening of the third or highest degree makes them inhabitants of the third or highest heaven. Those in whom these degrees are severally opened, and who therefore enter into and form the corresponding heaven, are represented by the different tribes, taken in threes. The successive sealing of the tribes describes their reception, beginning at the highest and proceeding to the lowest. In the highest heaven are those who have been regenerated to the highest degree, having attained the highest heavenly grace, which is love to the Lord above all things.

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9, 10. After thisthe sealing of the twelve tribesJohn says, I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands; and they cried with a loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. Those who were sealed out of the twelve tribes of Israel are all who were saved out of those who formed the visible church; and the great multitude are those who were saved from among the Gentiles.

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It is deserving of remark that there is, in these relations, no clue to the curious question, Are there few that be saved? Neither in the sealing of the twelve tribes, where the numbers are evidently mystical, nor in the gathering together of the great multitude, whose number is unknown, is there any means of knowing the actual or relative numbers saved. If there is any ground for conjecture, it is that the saved are not few but many--so many that no man could number them. Truth enables us to distinguish good from evil, a distinction which children, for instance, cannot make until they receive the necessary instruction. Where no law is there is no transgression, and sin is not known but by the law. Truth further distinguishes between genuine and spurious good. Spurious good is that which is done without discrimination to the good and the evil, the deserving and the undeserving alike. Truth furthermore distinguishes between different kinds and degrees of good. Of these there are many. There is celestial good and spiritual good, interior good and exterior good; the good of innocence, the good of love, the good of faith. Good is formed by truths; hence good varies, and becomes manifold, so manifold that no angel, spirit, or men is in the same good as that of another. Heaven consists in variety as to good, and by that variety one is distinguished from another. If all had the same good, there would be no distinctions. Yet these various goods are divinely arranged so as to constitute together one common good. The Divine Good, being infinite, is one; but with finite beings it varies in quality and quantity from its reception in truths, for good has its quality from truths, and truths are manifold.

The righteous Gentiles who do not receive the truth relating to the Lord the Savior in this life, receive it in the other. The great multitude are therefore said to be clothed with white robes, which are the emblems of truth, and to have palms in their hands, which are emblems of the good which truth teaches.

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11, 12. While the unnumbered multitude thus raised their voices in thanksgiving to the Lord for His great mercies, All the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen. If there is joy among the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth, how great the joy of those blessed ones over the salvation of an unnumbered multitude out of the whole known world! The sublime spectacle presented before the spiritual sight of John, is one from which Christians can draw comfort, and for which they can adore the Divine goodness. The multitude offer their thanksgiving standing; these fall upon their faces when they worship. The angels, the elders, and the four beasts are the angels of the three heavens.

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13, 14. And one of the elders answered, saying unto me, What are these which are arrayed in white robes? and whence came they? Every holy desire and every true prayer for heavenly light comes from heaven. Thus the elder asks John the question which John himself desired to ask, and which a heavenly instructor could alone answer. One of the elders asks this question and gives the answer, because the Divine influx which suggests and answers the inquiry comes through the angels of the second heaven, who are distinguished for intelligence, since they are more receptive than others of the light of truth. The elder therefore answers, These are they who came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is considered by some that these were martyrs. But the tribulation they had suffered was not in the natural but in the spiritual world. Those of the Gentiles who are saved undergo a preparation for heaven in the world of spirits. Heaven consists in the union of good and truth, or charity and faith. And those who have not known the truth in this life must receive it in the next, and have that truth joined with their good, before they can become inhabitants of heaven. It is in effecting this union that they undergo tribulation, for conjunction cannot be effected without temptation. The tribulation experienced may be great; for temptation is severe according to the errors that have been believed as truths, and the degree of regeneration effected by it. The new truths which the Gentiles receive in the other life are of course those which relate to the Lord, His life, and His sufferings and death in the world.

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The gate of life, closed, like the gate of Paradise, by mans fall, was opened again by Christs resurrection. In Adam all died, in Christ shall all be made alive. By man came death, by man came also the resurrection from the dead. It was necessary that Christ should die, that He might conquer death, and open again the way to the tree of life. There was this essential difference between the Lords death and that of all other men. Men died as the victims of their own sin, the Lord died as the victim of other mens sin, and as the martyr to His own righteousness. He had and preserved in Himself the seed which, when sown in the ground and dies, brings forth much fruit (John xii. 24). There is a saying that the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church. In an infinitely higher sense, and to an infinitely greater extent, is the blood of the Lord the seed of the kingdom which is to have no end. The blood of the martyrs was but the type of their fidelity to the Lords truth; the Lords blood was the type of His fidelity to His own truth, and therefore of the Truth itself, which in His Person suffered at the hands of men, and was glorified by the power of God. That Truth, now exalted into union with Love, from which it came forth, sends out its light and its truth to lead men to the altar of the Humanity, which sanctifies the true worshiper. The efficacy of the Lords truth, as symbolized by His blood, is expressed in various ways, especially by drinking it, and by washing in it. The purifying power of truth is that which is set before us in this instance. The multitude had washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. This is exceedingly expressive in their case. The righteousness of the Gentiles, however sincere and correct, must be exceedingly imperfect, regarded from a Christian point of view and seen by the light of Christianity.

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15. The great multitude having passed through the needful purification, therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple: and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them. This is one of the few passages of Scripture from which it may be, and has been, inferred that worship is the sole occupation of the blessed in heaven. The description is evidently figurative, and affords no just basis for dogmatic teaching. In one respect it is evidently so. In the New Jerusalem it is said there shall be no night there; here it is said the redeemed shall serve Him day and night in His temple.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 166

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 167

16, 17. The multitude having accepted the truth as it is in Jesus, and in that truth received the good which it is His desire to give, they were brought, after their state of tribulation, into one of rest and peace, and after their state of privation into one of abundance. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. Hunger and thirst after righteousness have the promise of being satisfied. This promise is exceedingly appropriate and expressive here. These Gentiles had hungered and thirsted in the world. They had desired good and truth which they did not possess; for every one who is spiritually minded craves the meat and drink by which the spiritual life is sustained. But their craving remained unsatisfied. They had desired to see the things which we see, and had not seen them, and to hear those things which we hear, and had not heard them. But now that they had passed through their desert state, and had come into a land of abundance, they would be no longer tormented by unsatisfied desires for good and truth. The hunger and thirst here spoken of is not the desire which gives a relish for food and drink, but the hunger which remains unappeased, and the thirst that remains unquenched. It is the ravenous hunger and burning thirst which are felt under the scorching heat of a burning sun. And therefore, with the promise of the absence of hunger and thirst, is given the assurance that they should not suffer from the rays of the sun nor any heat. This combination is found in our spiritual experience, when, with the absence of the good which nourishes and the truth which refreshes, there is the presence of the loves of self and the world. The double promise of no gnawing hunger and burning thirst, and no burning sun and fainting heat, is therefore the promise of the presence of the goods, and the absence of the evils, of life. While the Lord gives the good and the truth that sustain, He removes the evil and the false that oppress. For He shall feed them with the good of His love, and refresh them with the truth of His wisdom. The allusion here is to the green pastures and running streams, which are the beautiful emblems of the living good and truth which the Lord supplies to those who follow Him and trust in Him as the good Shepherd. And when this is the state and experience of the faithful, all sorrow and sighing shall cease; God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. All spiritual affliction shall cease when evil is removed and good is imparted, and with it all sorrow and sighing.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 168

CHAPTER VIII.

BETWEEN the opening of the seventh seal, with which this chapter commences, and the opening of the sixth, great changes and important events have taken place. The earth has been shaken to its foundation, and heaven has departed as a scroll; the twelve tribes have been sealed, and the innumerable multitude out of all nations has been seen standing before the throne of God. All these are signs of preparation for judgment, but not of judgment itself. The last of the seven seals that closed the mystic book, held in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne, and hid its contents from the eyes of angels and men, is at length opened by the Lamb. And very singular and extraordinary is the immediate effect of the disclosures made by the complete unrolling of the volume. And when He had opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven about the space of half an hour. The sacred volume had been sealed by the false interpretations and corrupt practices of the church. Not all at once, but gradually, had the Holy Look been sealed; and not all at once, but gradually, were the seals now opened. As the seals were successively opened, the errors and evils which had sealed the book were successively disclosed; and when the bursting of the lost seal had laid open the last of the evils which had gradually closed it, heaven was awed into silence by the sum of the dread account.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 169

But what was the nature of the disclosure that produced this silence in heaven? The last act of the Church on earth, which put the last seal on the Book of Life, was the establishment of the dogma of salvation by faith alone.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 170

2. On the opening of the seventh seal, John says, and I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets. As the opening of every seal laid open the particular evils which had caused that seal to be affixed to the book, and so far closed it, the opening of the seventh seal brings to light the characteristic evil of the doctrine of faith alone, and these are disclosed by the sounding of the seven trumpets. Who were these seven angels that stood before God, to whom seven trumpets were given? As the seven churches mean the one Universal Church, and the seven spirits before the throne mean the one Omnipresent Spirit, so the seven angels standing before God mean the whole angelic heaven, but more especially the heaven to which faith alone is directly opposed. There are two great principles which constitute heaven--love and faith.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 171

3, 4. When the seven angels had received their trumpets, another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. This angel represents the celestial heaven, which is in love; and he comes to perform a work of Divine love before Divine truth begins the work of judgment, for in judgment the Lord remembers mercy. The seven angels stood before the throne, this angel stands before the altar. As a throne is the symbol of government from truth, an altar is the symbol of worship from love, and this too is meant by the golden censer. The seven angels received seven trumpets; to this angel is given much incense. The incense that ascends to God is first received from Him. The prayers that reach the throne of grace are those which have first descended into the heart of the worshipper; and even the fire which burns upon the altar of the human heart, from which the golden censer of holy thought is to be filled with live coal, like that which touched the lips of the prophet, is kindled from heaven; for the use of strange fire brings death to him who uses it. But the much incense given to the angel was to be offered with the prayers of all saints.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 172

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 173

5. But while the ministry of the angel drew the saints, in the times of peril, into closer connection with heaven and conjunction with the Lord, and thus into a state of more perfect security, it produced a different effect beyond the circle where the saints reposed. The angel took the censer, and filled it with fire of the altar, and cast it into the earth: and there were voices, and thunderings, and lightnings, and an earthquake. The same holy fire which had kindled the devotions of the saints, and raised their prayers as grateful incense to the throne of God, now descends in flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, rending the earth with its power. In this we have a striking illustration of the truth, that the same Divine love kindles and consumes, and produces peace or tribulation, according as it falls into congenial or uncongenial minds. So true is this, that the warmth and bliss of heaven, and the fire and pains of hell, have the same origin: the same Divine love glows in the heart of the angel and burns in the heart of the demon, because received in its purity by the one, and defiled and perverted by the other.

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6. And the seven angels, which had the seven trumpets, prepared themselves to sound. Preparation is endeavor. We prepare for action by the acquisition and disposition of means. The angels had acquired the means: trumpets had been given to them: they now prepared to use them. And when heaven is to be instrumental in the performance of any great work, all its efforts must be employed to use the means which have been bestowed, so as to accomplish the use which the Divine Being designs to effect by it.

7. Preparation being made, The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. The blowing of the trumpets describes the searching of hearts by the power of Divine Truth from the Lord out of heaven; the effects of the sounding of the first trumpet describe symbolically the first disclosure of the character of a fruitless faith, and therefore of those who practically hold it.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 175

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 176

8, 9. And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea; and the third part of the sea became blood: and the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. The previous calamity fell upon the earth; this falls upon the sea. The earth is a symbol of the natural mind of man, but, considered a terraqueous globe, the land and the sea are symbols of the will and the intellect. In the spiritual sense the land is considered to be surrounded with water, so that the land is within and the sea, without. As a figure of the church, the earth, under these two divisions, represents the church as consisting of those who enter more into the interior mysteries of the faith, as the clergy do, and of those who only hear and believe, like the laity. Fire had been cast upon the earth, and now, as it were a burning mountain is cast into the sea. The same fire that was cast upon the earth now extends itself to the sea. The fire which is kindled in the will soon invades the intellect: that which begins at the center soon spreads to the surrounding parts.
Inflamed self-love is the burning mountain, and the intellect is the sea into which it was cast. The blood into which the sea, was turned is perverted or falsified truth; the fish that were killed, and the ships that were destroyed, are the knowledges and doctrines of truth, which perish when self-love is excited into activity. The rather singular phraseology that the creatures that were in the sea, and had life, died, is similar to that in the vision of Ezekiel (chap. xlvii.); where the holy waters flow from the sanctuary into the sea, and the waters are healed; And everything that liveth, that moveth, shall live, and there shall be a very great multitude of fish. The knowledges of religious truth in the natural understanding may be living or they may be dead. The love of knowing for the sake of use is the life or soul of knowledge; take that love away and it dies. To express it otherwise, every thought in which there is affection is alive; take away the affection and the thought dies. That case in Ezekiel, and this in the Apocalypse, are the antithesis of each other; life is imparted to knowledge in the first case, and life is taken away from it in the second.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 177

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 178

10, 11. And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; and the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became worm-wood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. Everything connected with the sounding of the first three trumpets indicates a progressive disclosure of spiritual states of mind from more outward to more inward, as if the disguises were being stript off one by one, that the real internal state might be laid bare. First, the hail and fire are cast upon the earth, then the burning mountain is cast into the sea, and now a burning star falls from heaven. The first kill the trees, the second kills the fish, and this the men. Heaven is the type of the inner man as the earth is of the outer. The stars of heaven are emblems of the interior knowledges of truth, or of interior truths themselves, that have become objects of apprehension. With the good these interior truths or knowledges of truth, shine with a clear and steady light; but with the evil they are fluctuating and evanescent, like wandering stars. That which fell from heaven was a great star; for it is the knowledge or intelligence relating to faith alone, as the one great doctrine of the Protestant Church the state of which is the subject of this part of the Revelation. Faith is the star of the Reformation. It is the one great principle by which it is distinguished, and to maintain, explain, and defend which, all the intelligence of the church is employed.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 179

12. And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise. The work of devastation proceeds. A great star had fallen from heaven, and now the whole heavenly host is smitten. The sun, moon, and stars are the emblems of love, faith, and knowledge, as the life and life-giving principles of the church. This imagery is frequently employed to describe the end of the church, both in the Old and in the New Testament. Here a third part is said to be smitten, but we have already stated that the number three, in whatever form, is expressive of completeness. In the present instance it is evident that a third part is not meant; for what can be the meaning of the day and night not shining for a third part?

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 180

13. As the states we have considered have now reached a consummation, a change takes place. And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe to the inhabiters of the earth, by reason of the other voices of the trumpet of the three angels, which are yet to sound! A transition state is indicated by this angelic visitant. The three calamities which follow differ widely in their character from those which precede. The angel seems as if sent only to announce the woes that were to be experienced by the inhabitants of the earth; but all angelic messages are Divine interpositions to moderate the ills which Divine Providence cannot in the nature of things prevent. Angels, as they are instruments, are also representatives of the Lord, and specifically of His love or His truth, or of Himself in the character of Love or Truth. In the Word the Lord is said to have wings and to fly. The truths of His Word are His wings; for by these His love makes its may into the hearts of angels and men. The wings of the wind, on which He is said to fly, are the spiritual truths of His Word, which, in the highest sense, constitute the Spirit of Truth. As the Lord is omnipresent by His Spirit, its flying is expressive of its operation in respect to finite beings. The Spirit comes to angels and men when they receive it, and it approaches them more nearly as they receive it more interiorly. Interior reception of the Lords Divine truth is here expressed by the angel flying in the midst of heaven. And heaven here does not mean only the heaven where angels dwell, but the heaven of the human mind where angelic principles reside. The sending forth of this angel at the present juncture indicates a Divine influx into the inmost of the minds of those who were still outwardly connected or associated with the evil in the world of spirits or middle state, in order to draw them into closer connection with the Lord Himself, so as to protect them from the calamities that awaited the wicked, and the more easily to effect their separation from them. These are called the inhabiters of the earth, because of their earthly or merely natural state; the earth denotes also the natural mind, which, both in the evil and in the good, would be subjected to the woes of spiritual affliction. These have, however, opposite results with the opposite elapses; for that searching of Divine Truth which separates good from the evil separates evil from the good.

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CHAPTER IX.

1, 2. WE observed that the appearance of the flying angel marked a transition state. The scenes which come now to be described are different from those already considered. And the fifth angel sounded, and I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth: and to him was given the key of the bottomless pit. And he opened the bottomless pit: and there arose a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun and the air were darkened by reason of the smoke of the pit. Deeper states are now to be opened up than those which have preceded. Hitherto the sounding has acted upon the heavens and the earth; now the lower, if not the lowest depths are to be revealed: this angel opens the pit of the abyss, the bottomless pit. The sounding of the fifth, like that of the fourth angel, brings a star from heaven unto the earth. Human error causes heavenly knowledge to descend to the earth, and turns that which in itself is true and a means of blessing into whet is false, and a means of cursing. As a true faith opens heaven and shuts hell, so a false faith shuts heaven and opens hell. Such is faith at the beginning, and such is faith at the end of the church. The star that guided the wise men to Bethlehem, the day-star that arose in mens hearts, in the first days of the church, in its last days is cast down from the heaven of the spiritual mind to the earth of the natural mind, and oven opens the lowest depths of the sensual principle. In regard to those in the middle state, to which this relates, the opening of the bottomless pit, or the pit of the abyss, is the opening of hell itself, with which the evil were in connection, and to which they were teaching; and the appearances which it presented represent the nature of the false principle of salvation by faith alone. First there arose a smoke, as of a great furnace, which darkened the sun and the air.

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3. And there came out of the smoke locusts upon the earth. The smoke being emblematical of false thoughts that issue from evil affections, the locusts which come out of the smoke are emblematical of the nature of such thoughts, and the operations of the locusts of their dreadful effects. This swarm from the smoke of the pit demands our attention. Although the description of these mystic creatures answers in some particulars to the locust, in others it is entirely unlike. Singular in their form and character, they combine some extra-ordinary, and in some respects incongruous qualities. The locust is often mentioned in Scripture, and is there regarded as a terrible scourge. Coming in countless numbers, they darken the air, and when they alight on the earth devour every green thing, so that before them is the garden of Eden, behind them is a desolate wilderness. Every animal in nature is the emblem of some human affection, the nature of which may be seen in the character of its symbol. But a man by his true or perverted intelligence may impart some qualities to the natural affection that forms no part of its original nature. The perception of this by the wise men of antiquity no doubt produced the compound animals of heathen mythology; and the same fact is represented in the locusts of the Revelation. Locusts are types of the affections of the human mind that are nearest to the senses, that regard all things from a sensual ground, and love and pursue them for the sensual gratification they afford. But every affection has its corresponding thought; for affection, considered in itself, is simply blind desire, and thought is the eye which guides it to its object. It is thought that gives any affection its peculiar form and character, and to the thought we are to trace the singular characteristics of the locusts that came out of the smoke of the abyss. Unto them was given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. From the benumbing effect of its bite, the scorpion is the emblem of that power of persuasion which belongs to the intellect of the sensual man--the man who reasons from, and judges by, the evidence of the senses--the power of stupefying the reason and making the mind torpid. And what is more calculated to benumb the active powers of the mind than the notion that salvation is the result or the reward of faith alone?

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4-6. The power given to the locusts was, however, limited. It was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither nay tree; but only those men which have not the seal of God in their foreheads. And to them it was given that they should not kill them, but that they should be tormented five months: and their torment was as the torment of a scorpion, when he striketh a man. And in those days shall men seek death, and shall not find it; and shall desire to die, and death shall flee from them. The locusts were not permitted to hurt the grass, but only the men which had not the seal of God in their foreheads. The number sealed out of all the tribes of Israel being all of every class of believers in the church who are saved; the unsealed are the unfaithful who are not saved. These were subject to the power of the locusts; for such yield a ready submission to the persuasive power of sensual reasonings. These are the men that could be hurt of the locusts; for by men, we have seen, are to be understood those attributes which constitute humanity, or by which men are distinguished from animals, the faculties of thinking and willing, of understanding truth and loving goodness. These the sensual principles are able to hurt, but are not permitted to destroy. As regards the locusts, it was not given them to kill the unsealed, but to torment them. Their torment was as the torment of a scorpion when he striketh a man. The sting of the scorpion produces local insensibility, and may even cause death. Mental torment, such as that caused by the scorpions sting, is the intolerable pain which the mind experiences when the activity of its powers is forcibly restrained; when men know not what to think on subjects in which they are deeply interested, or with which their human feelings and aims are intimately connected.

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This power of the locusts was limited in duration as well as in extent: they were only to torment the victims of their persuasions for live months. This does not mean such a measure of time, but a corresponding measure of state: it means such a diminution of the power of willing and thinking as left them little of real life; for the cessation of this power is death. So great is the torment of deadened or suppressed mental activity, that the total extinction of the power to think and feel seems preferable. Therefore, in those days, that is, during these states, men seek death and desire to die: they seek intellectual death, and desire the death of the will. It is one of the symptoms of an unsound mind, that the poor lunatic seeks death and desires to die. The morbid action of the faculties often tends in this direction; their healthy activity never. And as the suicide cannot destroy life, but finds himself alive; even so the mentally and spiritually diseased, however they may in the torments of mental distraction and hopeless mental effort desire to lose their sense of agony in annihilation, yet they cannot be killed and cannot command death. The human faculties of will and understanding, the power of willing and thinking, however deadened by the poison of other mens reasonings or of their own, can never be destroyed. In these their humanity consists, and they enjoy them by virtue of that indissoluble connection with God which secures their immortality.

7-11. The shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle; and on their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as the faces of men. And they had hair as the hair of women, and their teeth were as the teeth of lions. And they had breastplates, as it were breastplates of iron; and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle. And they had tails like unto scorpions: and there were stings in their tails. And they had a king over them, which is the angel of the bottomless pit, whose name in the Hebrew tongue is Abaddon, but in the Greek tongue hath his name Apollyon. The horse is a symbol of the understanding; the noble faculty which the Creator has given us for knowing and apprehending His truth. When this understanding is employed in the cause of error, it becomes a reasoning rather than a rational power; for no man is truly rational who sees truth as error, and error as truth. Sensual men are ingenious, though superficial; they have in acuteness what they lack in penetration. They are as eager for intellectual conflict as the war-horse is for battle: they have a confident opinion of their own invincibility; and are ever ready to claim triumph even when they signally fail of success. So the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared unto battle, and on their heads were as it were crowns of gold.

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But notwithstanding their combining in themselves the qualities of strength and beauty, openness and velour, they have one characteristic of the sensual nature which has marked it from the beginning, when the serpent was more subtle then any beast of the field. Fair in appearance, and open in profession, the sensual are yet insidious and venomous. Contending for the faith, which in their case is faith alone, they envelop the whole subject in the smoke of the bottomless pit; and while they are ingeniously persuasive of the truth of their false faith, they exert their whole power to destroy the truth. False persuasions are powerful by being formed into a system which has harmony and unity. Therefore the locusts did not move and act as a scattered and undivided multitude. They had a king over them. They were under the government of a leading and supreme power. Their king was the angel of the bottomless pit. This pit was the abode of the spirits of those who had lived and died in the doctrine and the life of faith alone. And the angel of the pit was the impersonation of that faith itself, the destroying angel, faith alone.

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We turn then to consider the mission of this exceeding great army. When we speak of their mission, we speak according to the language of the prophetic vision; not understanding that their mission was Divine further than it was permitted, end subordinated to providential ends. The will and wisdom of man have an innate tendency opposite to the will and wisdom of God, and would of themselves go on to universal destruction. The Divine power cannot, consistently with mans free will, prevent their activity; but the Divine Providence limits their operations. This limitation is Divine permission. Permission implies therefore, not license but restraint. Accordingly, it was commanded them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree. These are symbols of the living principles of truth and good that support the spiritual life of man, the green pastures into which the Divine Shepherd leads His flock, the trees planted by the rivers of waters, which yield their fruits in their season. Over these, as they grow in the minds of the faithful, fallacious reasonings and cunning persuasions have no power. For we are to remember that all those wonders are descriptive of states and changes of state in the minds of men, either in the natural or in the spiritual world. There are, indeed, general states and changes of state among men; but these are the results of states and changes of state in them; so that the external and general always imply a corresponding internal and particular. In these tribulations there are always also two opposite classes involved, the faithful and the unfaithful, the good and the evil. The good and the faithful suffer no injury from them. Tribulation sifts them as wheat; but the wicked are like chaff which the wind driveth away.

As the sounding of the trumpets manifests the character of faith alone, one of the effects of the tenet is seen to be, to impair the faculties of willing and thinking, leaving the mind in a state of inability to think justly and will wisely, and a prey to morbid desires and imaginations. This is one of the woes proclaimed by the flying angel.

12, 15. One woe is past; and, behold, there come two woes more hereafter. And the sixth angel sounded; and I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates. And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 188

16. But these angels of death have a host at their command. And the number of the army of the horsemen were two hundred thousand thousand: and I heard the number of them. This army resembles, and yet differs from, that which preceded it. The armies resemble each other, because they represent the same false principle; but they differ, because they seek to effect the same object by somewhat different means. The first army represents the persuasive power; the second army, the argumentative power. The second army follows, and completes what the first had begun. The power of persuading comes more from the will; the power of convincing more from the understanding. So the first army comes up out of the abyss, because this signifies the sensual will; the second army comes from the valley of the Euphrates, because this signifies the rational faculty. The first is an army of locusts, like unto horses, because sensual persuasion is not reasoning, but resembles it; the second is an army of horsemen upon horses, because horsemen upon horses represent reasoning. The horses of the first army had tails like unto scorpions, because persuasion, like the stroke of the scorpion, benumbs the faculty without destroying it; so this army had power to hurt men, but not to kill them. The horses of the second army had tails like serpents, because serpents represent sensual wisdom and its reasoning, by which false principles are intellectually confirmed, so that the faculty of understanding truth is destroyed; therefore this army had power not only to hurt men, but to slay them. When the mind is confirmed in essential error by reasonings, the truth is slain. The subtle reasonings in favor of the error which brings such destructive effects on the human mind are the army of horsemen; for in the genuine sense a horseman is reason, and the horse which he rides is the understanding.

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17. But John not only heard the number of the horsemen, but he saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone: and the heads of the horses were as the heads of lions; and out of their mouths issued fire, and smoke, and brimstone. Hearing and seeing are the complements of each other. How much does each reveal; how much leave unrevealed? They are twin sisters, or rather sister and brother, whose impressions and ideas of things are different and yet related, each supplementing and perfecting the other. Hearing is more the organ and minister of affection, sight is more the organ of thought; and they act and re-act upon each other, each giving and receiving, that the apprehension of a thing may be complete, and their joy may be full. But there is a peculiarity in Johns seeing in this instance. He does not say, as he had said before, that he was in the spirit and saw, but that he saw in vision. Although the vision to John was real, its foundation was unreality. The horses and their riders mere the creations and emblems of that fantasy in which such false reasonings as this army represents originate. The reasonings of the natural man are but the drawn-out fallacies of the senses, or the ingenious confirmation of the appearances of things, of the phenomenal as opposed to the real.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 191

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 192

18, 19. As falsity from evil is satanic in its nature, so is it deadly in its effects. By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths. For their power is in their mouth, and in their tails: for their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads, and with them they do hurt. Thoughts and reasonings are the things that proceed out of the mouth. With those who are meant by the horses, these burst forth from the love of evil, which is the fire; from the love of what is false, which is the smoke; and from the lust of destroying good and truth by falsity and evil, which is the brimstone. Out of the mouth proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries. These are the things that defile and destroy. They destroy all that is human, which is meant by the third part of men. A third part, we have seen, means the whole. The prophecy does not, however, mean that all the people were killed, but that all understanding or intellectual perception of truth was destroyed; for this constitutes humanity, or makes men truly human, or spiritually minded. When the church becomes natural, all its reasonings are from fallacies respecting the meaning and understanding of the Word. This reasoning is the power by which sensual men destroy; for by reasoning is favor of errors from the literal sense of the Word they are able to justify and excuse evil, not directly but indirectly, making the Scriptures themselves appear to teach what is opposed to their own essential principles.

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20, 21. And the rest of the men, which were not killed by these plagues, yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts. The rest of the men who were not killed are those in whom the understanding of truth is not entirely destroyed, but who yet remain unreformed and unregenerate. The effect of the doctrine of faith alone, even with those whose perceptive faculty retains some of its power, is strikingly manifest here. The men repent not. The conviction that salvation is by faith alone practically annuls the doctrine, and prevents the practice, of true repentance. The necessity and value of repentance consist in this. Evil must be removed that good may be received; and evil can only be removed by sincere repentance. Those who hold the opinion that faith is the only condition of salvation, consistently believe that faith contains everything in itself. An act of faith secures forgiveness and justification. And if sins are forgiven, and the believer is justified, where is the necessity for repentance? It is indeed admitted that after being justified the believer is sanctified, or gradually perfected in holiness. But if the first work remains undone, how is the second to be effected? There is a general and great misapprehension among Christians respecting the nature of forgiveness. Pardon is supposed to be a Divine fiat, like that of an earthly sovereign, remitting the punishments which the law has awarded for some criminal act. In the Divine economy sins are forgiven when they are removed. But what of past sins?

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 194

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 195

CHAPTER X.

WHEN the seventh seal of the Divine book was opened (viii. 2), seven trumpets were given to seven angels. Six of these trumpets have been sounded; and each successive blast has shaken the earth or the heavens, while hell itself has been let loose to increase the disorder, and help forward the destruction. All these are signs, presented to the Seer in vision, of the progressive disclosure of the states of the church, as manifested in a disclosure of the states of those in the other life who had belonged to it, and who represented its character during the several stages of its declension. One of the seven angels has yet to sound; and his is to be the trumpet of the jubilee, which proclaims the end of the reign of servitude, and the beginning of the reign of liberty. The events, recorded in this and the succeeding chapter, which come between the sounding of the sixth and of the seventh trumpets, are of a different character from those we have considered, and are preparatory to the better state of things which the seventh sound is to introduce.

1, 2. And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was upon his head, and his face was as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: and he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left foot on the earth. The appearance of this angel and the other circumstances which come between the sounding of the sixth and of the seventh trumpets, similar in their character to those which come between the opening of the sixth and seventh seals. Between the opening of these seals, four angels are seen standing on the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds; and another angel ascends from the east, having the seal of God, with which he proceeds to seal twelve thousand out of each of the tribes of Israel.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 196

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 197

The book which the angel held in his hand is the same book that was seen in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne (chap. v.). It was then sealed with seven seals. It is now open, as the Lamb had unclosed it; and the open volume is to be offered to those represented by John, who are prepared to receive it. While the book is the same as that first seen by John, there is the difference of its being a little book; for the Word as to one of its truths, not the whole Word, is now treated of. That one truth is--THE SOLE DIVINITY OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST AND THE DIVINITY OF HIS HUMANITY. These are two, and yet they are one, for they form together the essential and central truth of the Word, and doctrine of the Church. This truth is the little book which is an epitome of the great book; and this truth men must receive, and inwardly digest, before the church can he truly the Lords mystical body.

The glorious being who descended from heaven with the open book in his hand, that men might again read therein the truth that had been sealed up and hidden from their sight, stood with his right foot upon the see, and his left foot upon the earth. As heaven is Gods throne, and the earth is His footstool, this act of the angel is a sign that the whole church is under the Lords auspices and dominion, the earth, in the spiritual sense, being the church. When the sea is also mentioned, the earth, as the land, means the internal of the church, and the sea its external.

But why should the angel set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth? The right has relation to goodness, and the left to truth. The angel therefore set his right foot upon the sea, to indicate that in the minds of the simple who formed the external of the church, there was a foundation on which the Lords goodness could rest; and he set his left foot on the earth, to indicate that in the minds of the wise who formed the internal of the church, there was a foundation only for His truth.

But the church here represented was neither in goodness nor in truth. In the church, even in its worst state, there are still some remains of goodness and truth preserved in the minds of some of its members, and on these the Lord is able to place His feet, and exercise His dominion.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 198

3, 4. When the angel had thus set his right foot on the sea and his left on the earth, he cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. The cry uttered by the angel was an expression of anguish as well as of power, like that of a lion bereaved of her whelps or robbed of her prey, but roused to energy to seek their recovery. The cry was especially expressive of love, which is meant by its being called a loud or great voice. The condition of the church to which this vision relates is like that described in Joel, when the harvest was ripe for the sickle of judgment, the Lord shall roar out of Zion, and utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but the Lord will be the hope of His people, and the strength of the children of Israel (iii. 16). The cry of the angel is the voice of love lamenting over the shattered state of the church, but it is at the same time the promise of its restoration by the power of truth. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? The Lord God hath spoken, who can put prophesy? (Amos iii. 8). When the angel uttered his cry, seven thunders uttered their voices. We have seen (iv. 5) that thunder and lightning proceeding out of the throne mean Divine Truth from the Lord through heaven. The seven thunders that uttered their voice in answer to, and in symphony with the voice of the angel was the response of heaven to the cry of Divine Love on the desolate state of the church. Seven is a holy number, and one that also expresses completeness or perfection. This thundering was of the nature of a revelation, for revelation comes through heaven. The Divine Truth in heaven is that through which Divine Love makes itself known in the church among men. But this revelation was not yet to be made known; for John says, When the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. A similar command was given to Daniel, when he had seen a vision, and heard the interpretation, Shut thou up the vision; for it shall be for many days (viii. 26). The command to seal up the things which the seven thunders had uttered, and write them not, means that the truths which these thunders denote must not be divulged, because they could not yet be received, that is, they could not yet be received, that is, they could not yet be written in the book of mens minds and lives. John, indeed, says he was about to write; for those whom John represented could understand, and were willing to receive and communicate, but even they could not now with certainty and safety, for John had not yet eaten the little book, nor tasted its sweetness and its bitterness. Others could not until the dragon was cast out.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 199

       
5, 6. When this command had been given, John says, the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer. A passage similar to this occurs in Daniel: And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and aware by Him that liveth for ever, that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished (xii. 17). The man clothed in linen, whose body was like the beryl, and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in color to polished brass, and the voice of his words like the voice of a multitude (x. 6), was, like the mighty angel, a representative of the Lord Himself, as the Word, or Divine Truth. Indeed, the vision in which Daniel saw this man, is so like that in which John saw the Son of man (i. 13-15), and this in which he saw the angel, that it evidently refers to the same subject, the appearance of the Lord in His Humanity; and therefore, unlike the other visions of God mentioned in the Old Testament, the body itself of this man is said to be like the beryl. The Lord had come down from heaven, and planted His feet on the earth and the sea, as a sign of His universal dominion; and He now lifts up His hand, as the emblem of His power, and swears that there should be time no longer. The Divine Being can only swear by Himself: and He alone can swear in the proper sense of the term, for He is the Faithful and True Witness; He is the Truth, whose word is sure and unalterable. The angel, it is true, swears by another, but that other is the Lord Himself as Divine Love, who, from His Love, which is Life, not only created the visible heaven and the habitable earth, but gave existence to the heaven of angels and the church among men; for heaven and the church were the purpose of the visible creation, and for this reason they are always meant, in the spiritual sense, when the creation is spoken of in Scripture. As the church and not the world is the subject of the apocalyptic vision, time is to be understood in reference to the church, and not to the world. The church on earth has indeed some relation to time. It has its history; but its history is the record of its states and changes of state. Time, therefore, means state. The church had passed through many changes of state; but it was now hastening to its close, when the state itself of love and faith, which constitute the church, should be no more.

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7. But in extremity there is hope. In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets. When the seventh angel sounded (xi. 15.) there were great voices out of heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. These are the glad tidings which the prophet had received. All the prophets testify of a time when the Lord shall be King over all the earth. That is the time of the Lords Second Advent, which is the mystery of God that should be finished, when judgment, which is the Lords strange work, should have removed the obstacles to that blessed consummation. The little book is, we have seen, the Word of God, with especial reference to its great truth, that Jesus Christ in His Divine Humanity is the only God of heaven and earth. This central truth of the Gospel, for ages lose, was now to be restored, and made more manifest than ever before, which is indicated by the book being open. The book was presented to John to show, by the effects of his eating it, how the doctrine of the Word respecting the Lord would at the time of the end be received. The essential principles of a new dispensation are always made known before the old has passed away; for the rudiment of the new is to be formed from the remnant of the old. This remnant is here represented by John. Those who are principled in love or charity, which John represents, are the first recipients of the new faith. These are meant by the beloved apostle in what the Lord said respecting him to Peter, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me (John xxi. 22). Jesus thus symbolically taught, that although faith would die out in the church, charity would survive till the time of His Second Coming. And by those who were then in a state of charity the principles of the Church of His Second Advent would be first received.

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8-11. John heard a voice from heaven, saying, Go and take the little book out of the hand of the angel. Those who are in a receptive state, and desire to know the truth, are led by an inward dictate to go to the Lord, who alone can reveal it to them. but the Lord does not teach men immediately from Himself, but mediately through His Word. He holds the open book in His hand. He invites them, as the heavenly voice invited John, to take the book and eat it; but they must, like John, freely go and take that which is freely offered. The Lord has all power; but His power works effectually only in the willing and obedient. He calls, entreats, commands, but does not compel. Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no money; come ye, buy and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money, and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (Isa. lv. 1, 2). Eating the book is an obvious and expressive symbol of receiving into the mind what the book contains. But the difference is here pointed oat between taking the book into the mouth and receiving it into the belly. In the mouth it is sweet; in the belly it is bitter. The month corresponds to the thought; the belly to the will. A truth that is easily received into the thought may find difficult admission into the will. How sweet is it to think of the Lord as the Savior and Redeemer! how difficult to accept Him in truth and in deed as our Savior from sin! Not difficult for those who have only to believe that Christ died in their stead, and by that belief are justified from all their sins; but difficult for those who come to know that Jesus saves, not by delivering them from the legal consequences of sin, but from sin itself; that as Jesus Himself was perfected through sufferings, so must His disciples; that as He glorified His Humanity and made it Divine by conflict with evil and hell, so must those who follow Him be regenerated and made heavenly by conquering the evils of their heart and life. Here is the bitterness of the greatest and most precious truth that the Gospel reveals. This is the Gospel.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 202

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 203

CHAPTER XI.

1, 2. WHEN John had eaten the book, and had received the commission to prophesy again, he was commanded to perform another duty, which, though it has no obvious, has yet an intimate connection with his previous act. And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months. Having, as the prophet of the new Dispensation, received its principles and a commission to teach them, he is now prepared, as he is commanded, to examine and form a just estimate of the state of the church. This is meant by applying to it the measure of the sanctuary. The Jewish temple was a type, first of the Lords own body; secondly, of His mystical body, the church; and thirdly of the individual Christian, as a temple of the Holy Spirit. The Lords mystical body, the church, is that which John is here commanded to measure. In its widest sense, the Lords mystical body includes both the church in heave and the church on earth. And when it does so, the church in heaven is meant by the temple, and the church on earth by the court. This is their meaning here. But was John to measure the whole angelic heaven, as constituting the church universal above? That whose quality was to be ascertained was the new Christian heaven, or, we may say, those of whom the new heaven was being formed. And when we add that to measure means not merely to estimate but also to arrange, so as to bring into just order, we can see that this sacred measuring has reference to the Divine work which was in progress at the time to which this part of the prophecy relates; because the Lord was then preparing all things, both in the spiritual and in the natural world, for the formation of a New Church in heaven, preparatory to the establishment of a New Church on earth. The New Church in heaven, or the New Heaven, was to be formed of those who had belonged to the Christian Church on earth. These were yet in the middle state, and consisted of, or at least included, the twelve tribes of Israel, who had been sealed, and the great multitude which no man could number. These formed the temple which John was commanded to measure, which is indeed evident from the relation itself; for it was the temple of God that was opened in heaven, as mentioned in the last verse of this chapter.

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The instrument which John received for measuring the temple is not without its meaning. It was a reed like unto it rod. It combined as it were the nature of both. As a reed it measured the church in regard to the duality of its faith, as a rod it measured the church in regard to the quality of its love. The reed also is a symbol of feeble and unsteady faith, the rod of powerful love. When the prophet would describe the Divine tenderness towards those whose faith and love are faint and weak, he represents it as that of one who does not break the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. And when the Lord would describe the wavering faith of the people in John the Baptist, He asks them, What went ye out in the wilderness to see? a reed shaken with the wind? Gut a rod as the symbol of power is that which goes out of Zion, the rod that comforts His people in their deepest affliction and their severest trials. The reed like a rod, with which John measured the church, was no other than the standard of truth and goodness contained in the Word in its doctrines of faith and love. For, as we have remarked, John had eaten the book in which that standard is delivered, the little book being itself the doctrines of love and faith, and therefore the test of the state of the church with regard to them. That the temple was to be measured, implies that the church which it represented possessed the qualities which constitute the church, when it is a church indeed. But the prophet was commanded not to measure the court without; and this command implies that the church on earth, which the court represented, had no measure, had no true doctrine, no love and faith, to estimate and declare. For the new temple had not yet come down to the earth, and the old had ceased to have any of the heavenly qualities of true love or of true faith.

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3, 4. When a New Church has been formed in heaven, means must be provided for its commencement upon earth. Spiritual light comes from God through heaven, as natural light comes from the sun through the atmosphere. But natural light must have objects to receive and reflect it, that it may produce effects. So must spiritual light. The objects that receive spiritual light are knowledges. Every new dispensation is, therefore, brought in by a new revelation; and a new revelation requires a new revelator.

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Two great doctrines or principles of the Word now opened are represented by the two witnesses, and the promulgation of these principles is meant by their prophesying. We must therefore turn our attention to these two heavenly memorialists. It will we think appear, from an attentive examination of the Divine record, in connection with a similar passage in one of the prophets, that the two witnesses are the personifications of two principles or graces proceeding from God, and testifying of Him and His kingdom to the church on earth. These (two witnesses) are the two olive-trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth. This distinct reference to a vision of the prophet Zechariah greatly assists us in fixing on the true sense of the symbolism of this part of the Revelation. It is recorded in the fourth chapter of that prophet that he beheld a candlestick all of gold, and two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side, and the other upon the left. The angel that talked with him explained this vision by saying, This is the Word of the Lord unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, saith the Lord of hosts. The two olive-trees are further declared by the angel to be the two anointed ones that stand before the Lord of the whole earth. At the time this vision was granted to the prophet, Zerubbabel, at the head of some of the Jews who had returned from Babylon, was engaged, under great hindrances and discouragements, in rebuilding the city and temple of Jerusalem; and the vision was intended as an assurance that the Lords Spirit was present to support and protect him in the holy undertaking. The Spirit of the Lord is the Spirit of His love and wisdom,--of His love to warm the heart, of His wisdom to enlighten the understanding. Under the Jewish Dispensation these were symbolized by the olive-tree with its oil, and by the candlestick with its lamps.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 207

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 208

But it may be asked, why these two witnesses should be sent to offer their testimony to the church at this juncture? why they should be sent to prophesy to those who had already rejected them, and who were determined not to receive their testimony, but to kill them and cast them out as accursed? It is the invariable order of Divine Providence, when one dispensation of the church is about to end and another to begin, to reveal the new truth to the old dispensation; since, as we have said, the rudiment of the new is to be formed from the remnant of the old. Noah was a preacher of righteousness to the last generation of the Adamic church.

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5, 6. The description which now comes shows that these witnesses are prophesying in the midst of those who are hostile to their teaching. For the Revelator goes on to say, And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies; and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed. These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will. This power to punish their enemies, like the retributive power of God, whose ambassadors the witnesses were, is to be understood not in the absolute but in its relative sense. God does not punish or withhold His blessings from those who are against Him. He is, indeed, represented in the Word as doing so; but this is in the literal sense, which generally describes thin according to the appearance. The real truth is, that evil slays the wicked (Ps. xxxiv. 21), and that the sins of men withhold good things from them (Jer. v. 25). God can no more withhold His love and truth from men than the sun can withhold its heat and light. Punishment and suffering do not come from God, or from anything that is of God, but from the evil that opposes itself to His goodness, and the unbelief that shuts out the light of His truth. All that is of God has only the power to bless, not to curse. So of the two witnesses. Love to the Lord and love to man, which are the two witnesses, have in their nature nothing retributive or destructive. Yet punishment does come upon those who hurt them. It seems as if they inflicted it, because where good ends evil begins, and where the blessing ends the curse begins.

The nature of the punishment is expressed by the calamities which the witnesses are said to inflict.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 210

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 211

But the power of the witnesses was not limited to breathing fire upon their enemies; they could also shut heaven, so that there should be no rain in the days of their prophecy; and the water they could turn into blood. Fire and water are the emblems of love and truth. The rain that descends from heaven to refresh and fructify the earth, is a beautiful symbol of the truth that comes down from heaven to refresh and fructify the mind. But for the constant descent of Divine Truth, the soul would be as parched and desolate as the earth when there is no rain. This influx is as essential to the evil as to the good; without it the human faculties themselves would cease to act. Without it the thorn and the thistle could no more grow than the lily and the rose. And unless the mind had the faculty and the means of producing the false, useless, and injurious, it could not retain the power of producing the useful and beneficent. And yet what we call so are not entirely useless or hurtful. The thorn and thistle that grow so abundantly on poor and uncultivated soils, go to relieve that very poverty on which they live. Their death is the means of life. Their decayed substance goes to increase the vegetable soil from which higher and better forms of vegetable life may spring, or, being sown or planted, may grow. Divine Truth is the rain which our heavenly Father sendeth on the just and on the unjust, as Divine Love is the sun which He maketh to rise on the evil and on the good. But even the descent of truth is liable to be interrupted. Heaven may be shut, so that there be no rain. But what is the heaven that is shut? and who shuts it? We need not say that the witnesses do not. Their prophesying may, however, be said to be the occasion of the calamity; for they provoke the opposition which produces the act that is ascribed to them. In the general sense, the heaven of angels, through which the truth descends from God to the church on earth, is that which is shut. When the church becomes corrupt, and the intermediate state is largely occupied by the souls of the evil, the Divine influence that comes through heaven is intercepted; and thus heaven is shut, so that it cannot rain righteousness on the church below. There is another heaven that may be shut. The spiritual mind of man may be closed, so that no heavenly influence can descend into his natural mind and make it fruitful of goodness.

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When the inflowing truth is thus intercepted in its course, the natural mind, like the earth when unblest with the dew and rain of heaven, is unrefreshed and unfruitful. Strictly speaking, that which descends from heaven into the mind, is the Spirit of truth. Truth as knowledge is derived from the written Word. This truth is meant by the water that is turned into blood. For when the Spirit of truth is not received into the mind, the spirit of error which is there turns the truth of Gods Word into falsity. When the Spirit of truth is shut out, and the truths of the Word are falsified, the natural mind, besides being unfruitful in goodness, becomes afflicted with evils and falsities of all kinds; and these are the plagues with which the earth is smitten. The witnesses are said to inflict these plagues as often as they will; yet, like the other calamities, they result from their will being opposed.

7. But the witnesses who had power to destroy their enemies, and to smite the earth with all plagues, were themselves to be smitten, even to death, by another and still more powerful enemy. And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them. The finishing of their testimony does not mean the time but the state, which brought their testimony to a close. In its general sense, the witnesses finish their testimony when the church conies to its end. In its particular sense, the witnesses finish their testimony when the heaven of the inner man is shut, and the natural man has turned the truths of the Word into falsity and its good into evil. It is then that the bitterest hatred is excited, and the most active and deadly hostility begins. The beast ascends out of the bottomless pit. Hitherto the witnesses had to cope with the powers of the earth; now they are to be assailed by the power of hell. Hitherto they had to encounter opposition from earthly loves; now they are to be opposed by infernal loves. When heaven is shut, hell is opened; and the destroying angel in some shape ascends out of the abyss. The destroying angel assumes in this instance the form of a beast. He is spoken of as the beast, as if he had previously appeared, although he has not been hitherto mentioned under that name. He is the same as the locusts, or their king, under another form.

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Some of the arguments in support of this doctrine we have already considered; we may here advert to some others. To show that salvation is by faith only, it must be made to appear that Jesus Christ has done all for man that man ever was or will be required to do for himself. The Savior having done all, man has nothing to de; he has only to believe in the all-sufficiency of the merit of Christ. But salvation by faith alone, though it may be briefly stated, is far from being a simple doctrine. It rests upon a complicated system of theology and scheme of redemption. At the very foundation of the system there must be three distinct persons in the Godhead; and much has been written to make it appear that three Persons make but one God. The first person of the Trinity demands satisfaction for mans sins; the second person makes satisfaction; and the third conveys its benefits to the souls of the redeemed. The reasonings by which this scheme of salvation is sought to be confirmed and explained, are ingenious, though far from being sound. The law of God, it is argued, is so perfect that it demands perfect obedience or the death of the sinner. The justice of God is so inflexible that no offense against it can be forgiven without complete satisfaction. But the sinner himself--and all men have sinned--cannot make this satisfaction. For assuming in theory what is impossible in fact, that a justified sinner should over afterwards continue in a life of perfect obedience, he could make no reparation for the sins that are past, which of themselves are sufficient to condemn him. But besides his past sins, every one daily breaks the commandments in thought, word, and deed. And, according to the Westminster Catechism, every sin deserves Gods wrath and curse and the pains of hell for ever. By such reasonings do men attempt to show that there must have been some one who had no sin of his own, upon whom the sins of mankind, past, present, and future, might be laid, and is whom they could be punished. Such a one could be found only in the Son of God, who assumed mans nature, and suffered all that the broken law and offended justice of God required. Yet, though the full penalty of sin has been made, pardon and salvation are not unconditional. No one can add anything to the perfect righteousness of Christ, therefore works form no part of the conditions of salvation. There is but one condition on which the sentence of eternal death can be cancelled and eternal life obtained, and that is, faith in Jesus Christ, as the all-sufficient sacrifice for sin. It would be tedious to examine all these points of doctrine, with a view to show how inconsistent they are with Scripture and reason. The fact is, the whole system is founded on error.

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God is love. Love is His very nature. All His attributes are the attributes of love. Creation was a work of love. Man was its highest object, and his happiness is its highest end. Much is said about creation being designed for Gods glory. God is glorified when man is beatified. All that God has ever done, and all that He will ever do, by creation or redemption, by providence or grace, has this and this only for its end. His justice no less than His mercy pursues it. His very laws were ordained for human happiness. Gods purpose in all that He does is to make man a moral image of Himself. Only by being a partaker of the Divine nature can man be a partaker of the Divine blessedness. How can this be effected, or in any way advanced, by substituted suffering and imputed righteousness? These, like most parts of the scheme of redemption, place the work outside of man rather than within him. It is true that the Lord effected redemption for man, but it is no less true that He accomplished it in him and by him The Lord effected redemption in and by mans nature. It is this which makes it a work so perfectly adapted to the nature and to the necessities of man. That which the Lord effected in mans nature was the very work which was required for mans deliverance from sin and his establishment in righteousness. The Lords work in the flesh consisted of two parts--the subjugation of the powers of darkness, and the glorification of His human nature. The Lords glorification was the perfect archetype of our regeneration. It was that very work which was needed to redeem man from the effects of the fall, and renew him again into the image and likeness of God. The Lords holy and beneficent life, His trials and temptations, His sufferings and death, were the means by which His Humanity was perfected. His terrible experiences were not Divinity-inflicted punishments for mans sins,--an idea as monstrous as it is erroneous,--but the effects of His conflicts with the powers of evil. The Humanity which He glorified, and in which He now dwells, is the origin and the pattern of our regeneration. It is because He was glorified that we can be regenerated. Our work is an effect and an image of His. When we overcome, me sit down with Him in His throne; as He overcame, and sat down with His Father on His throne.

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The doctrine of salvation by faith--alone was a reaction from the practical doctrine of the Romish Church of salvation by works alone. Works had been turned into a means of ecclesiastical aggrandizement. Works had been declared to be meritorious; and after one had, out of the superabundance of his good deeds, purchased heaven for himself, he might give the rest for the benefit of some suffering soul in purgatory. But the corruption of a doctrine does not justify its rejection. A true reformation of this gross abuse would have been to restore good works to their true place in the Christian economy. This was more than the deplorable condition of the church had left even the best of her sons either the theological capacity or the moral power of doing. In the history of human opinion we find that one extreme commonly begets another. So the reaction from the Popish corruption of the saving power of good works, was altogether to reject them as conditions of salvation, and ascribe this to faith alone. Another standard was thus raised, around which men might rally, and under which they could find deliverance from the heavy burdens which the church had laid upon them, while she herself would not touch them with one of her fingers. One noble work the Reformation accomplished. It placed the Word of God in the hands of the people, and restored the right of private judgment. These great blessings prepared the way for the Second Coming of the Lord, which was to be effected through the Word, by restoring its true literal meaning, and unfolding its spiritual sense.

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It is natural to suppose that a revelation of the truth on these great subjects would excite the hostility of those who had confirmed themselves in the most grossly natural views of the nature and purpose of the Lords Coming. Especially was opposition to be expected to a true interpretation and exposition of the Word on those doctrines of the Christian religion that intimately concern the salvation of the human soul. When the two witnesses stood up to teach the absolute unity of the Godhead, as dwelling in the single person of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the absolute necessity of a life according to the commandments, no wonder they should be opposed by the men of a church, whose whole theology rested on the doctrines of a Tri-personal God and salvation by faith alone. These doctrines are represented by the beast that came out of the abyss. feasts are, however, not so much the emblems of opinions as of passions, riot so much of thoughts as of affections. And when these are enlisted on the side of error, they must be enraged against the truth, as threatening to deprive them of their dominion. The passions that are excited into hostility by the teaching of the truth, have their origin in the unregenerate heart, which is the abyss from which they ascend. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Self-love is its ruling passion, and falsity is the instrument by which it works out its ends. Falsity is the locust, self-love is the beast. They were united in the opponent of the two witnesses. For whether we understand the prophecy in relation to the church as a body, or to those within it who identify themselves with its principles, it is the same. When men are intellectually confirmed in views to which they have a natural leaning, and which are sanctioned by priestly authority, and strengthened by popular opinion, this hostility can hardly fail to be strongly excited by new views, which, however true, challenge the soundness of those which they regard and love as their own. This is the war which is treated of in this instance. And when congenial error prevails in the minds and affairs of men, truth cannot but be overcome and destroyed. When this is general, the church is near its end. And such is the state here represented. The next part of the vision shows what the result must be.

8. And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified. Jerusalem was where the Lord was crucified naturally; but the great city which is called Sodom and Egypt is where the Lord was spiritually crucified, by the denial of His true character, as the only God of heaven and earth, even as to His Humanity.

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9. While the bodies of the witnesses lie in the streets of the city, they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves. In ancient times, and among the Jews as well as other peoples, the greatest indignity that could be offered to the posthumous fame of any one was to refuse him burial. They shall die of grievous deaths, they shall not be lamented, neither shall they be buried; and their carcasses shall be meat for the fowls of heaven (Jer. xvi. 4). This, like many other customs, had its origin in the religious or spiritual idea connected with burial. The people of primeval times knew that when the body died, and the soul began truly to live, for the spirit returned to God; so that burial came to be a sign of resurrection into life. The denial of burial to the dead was therefore a strong expression of condemnation, a sign that they were deemed unworthy of eternal life. The refusal of burial to the two witnesses is expressive of strong repugnance to the principles they represented. As if those in faith alone were to say, We will not only kill them, but will do what we can to prevent them from being raised up again to life.

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10. A still deeper state of unbelief and evil is described as succeeding this. Not content with killing and casting them out, they rejoice over them. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth. The earth being a symbol of the church. Those who are in the doctrine of faith alone, are of course meant. They rejoice over the death of the witnesses as men are wont to rejoice when they are relieved of the presence of a troublesome reprover, who disturbs them with scruples and warnings. When truth is silenced, and good is laid asleep, these tormentors of the conscience cease to trouble, and leave men free to indulge in the delights of self-love and the love of the world. These two distinct but kindred delights are rejoicing and making merry, or being glad; and their reciprocation and mutual confirmation are meant by sending gifts one to another.

11, 12. But while the men of the church were rejoicing over the fallen witnesses of the truth, they were raised up and honored by Him who sent them. And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 219

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 220

The natural sense of the Word, which is meant by the cloud in which the witnesses ascended, reveals to natural men what they can understand, and conceals from them what they are unfit or unprepared to perceive. This revealing and concealing, manifesting to and withdrawing from the sight, is exemplified in other cases besides that of the two witnesses. Our Lord Himself as the Truth was manifested to mankind at the end of the Jewish Church; He was killed by those who dwelt in the city spiritually called Sodom and Egypt; and after He had lain three days and three nights in the heart of the earth, during which His enemies rejoiced and were glad, He received new life, and stood upon His feet, walking among His disciples during forty days, after which He ascended up into heaven, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. In the case of every new church, the new truth must first be preached to the old church, that which it may find out those who are willing and ready to receive it, from whom the new church is to have its commencement. But that which gladdens the good exasperates the evil; and that which is accepted by the good is rejected by the evil. And that which is accepted by the good is rejected by the evil. Every manifestation of the truth acts as a sort of judgment, for it separates the good from the evil, and therefore separates Good itself from evil.

There is one difference between our Lords ascension and that of the witnesses. The Lords ascension appears to have been witnessed only by His disciples; when the two witnesses ascended up to heaven their enemies beheld them. It is said, however, of our Lord, that at His Second Coming He should be seen by every eye, by those also that pierced Him. His Second Coming is a coming to judgment; and judgment makes the Lord manifest to all, both evil and good. The good see Him as goodness and truth, the evil see Him as truth without goodness. The good are judged by truth tempered with mercy, the evil are judged by truth without mercy. This does not result from any difference in the Judge, but from the different states of those who are judged. All are judged out of those things that are written in their own book of life, as well as by the Lords Book of Life.

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The subject of this interesting part of the vision, the account of the two witnesses, may be briefly stated. Before, but about the time of the end of every church, preparation is made for the commencement of a new one; fur the new must have its beginning in the old. The germ of the new is preserved in the old; and the old must die, that the new may live. Preparation is made for the commencement of the new by preaching anew to the old the truth from which it has departed, with such now infoldings or unfoldings as correspond to the altered condition of the human mind. For truth, like the human mind which was created to receive it, knows no finality, but goes on to infinity. The truths of the Christian church were preached to the Jews, before the end of the Jewish church, by John the Baptist and by the Lord Himself. These witnesses were slain, and is them the truth which they preached. Some of the Jews had, however, become receptive of the truth, and with them the Christian church had its commencement. When the Jews had slain the Lord, they rejoiced, supposing they had destroyed Him who tormented them. But after lying three days and nights in the heart of the earth, life entered into Him, and after forty days He ascended up into heaven in the presence of a number of His disciples, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. Preparation has been made for the commencement of the New Christian Church, predicted under the figure of the New Jerusalem (Rev. xxi. 2), by the preaching of the two universals of the New Church, the sole Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a life according to His commandments. These were rejected by the great body of the church at the time of its end.

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13. The effects of their persecution and removal were, that the same hour the witnesses ascended was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven. When the principles of love and truth, which are the essentials of religion, are rejected and removed, the church is entirely subverted. Its subversion is meant by the earthquake. The cause of the churchs destruction is within itself. The spiritual earthquake is produced by the activity of the fire of self-love and the love of the world.

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14. Of the three woes proclaimed by the angel that was seen flying through the midst of heaven (viii. 13), the second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly. Quickly means certainly. The third woe to the church is that which brings it to an end, to which it is declared to be hastening with terrible certainty.

15. But before the third woe a new cause of joy is announced. And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. In the providence of God a full end is never permitted without provision being made for a new beginning. The sounding of the seventh angel, unlike the sounding of the preceding six, awakens voices in heaven which proclaim tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

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No doubt this prophecy will be completely verified. The kingdoms of this world will come to be ruled by the principles of justice and judgment, which are the habitation of the throne of God. Whenever and wherever these rule, in the Church, in the State, or in the individual mind, there is the kingdom of God. And the promise is, that this kingdom shall universally prevail. While this is the ultimate fulfillment of the prediction, it has an immediate reference to a nearer object. When John saw and heard what he here records he was in the spirit, and what he heard and saw had immediate reference to the spiritual world, and to the kingdom or kingdoms there. The kingdoms of that world are not as the kingdoms of the natural world. The kingdoms there consist of those who live under the rule of the principle of truth; for there all are arranged according to some general principle to which their mind and life are conformed. There are, indeed, but two universal principles by which heaven and the church are governed, the principle of goodness and the principle of truth, or of love to God and love to each other; but there are numerous degrees of these directions, as there are various gifts, but the same spirit. In heaven itself, viewed in its relation to the Lord, there is but one kingdom, since there is but one King; but viewed in respect to the two universal loves which prevail in heaven, there are two kingdoms; for those who are in love to the Lord form one kingdom, and those who are in love to the neighbor form another. Yet these, though distinct, form one, as the kingdom of the heart and the kingdom of the lungs in the human body. The kingdoms of this world, which are declared to have become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ, are all those who were governed by principles of doctrine which were in accordance with the truth. Previous to the judgment, and while the evil were yet mixed with the good, these could not be so closely conjoined to the Lord as to be, in the fall and perfect sense, His subjects; but when the evil were removed, the obstructions to union were removed also, and the light and love of God could flow into the truths they had in their minds; and these truths could thus become illustrated with Divine light and warmed with Divine love, and so become the Lords.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 226

There is a peculiarity in the designation of the Divine Ruler to whom the kingdoms of the world are to become subject. We read in the epistles, Ye are Christs; and Christ is Gods (1 Cor. iii. 23); but this is only another form of oar Lords own words, when He prayed respecting His disciples, that they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in Me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us.... I in them, and Thou in Me (John xvii. 21, 23). And in the next chapter of the Revelation we read of the kingdom of our God and the power of His Christ. The Christ of God is not, therefore, of itself a singular expression. But here we have the Lord and His Christ. And in the Revelation the single Word Lord never refers to any one but to Jesus Christ Himself. What then are we to understand by the Lord and His Christ? The Lord and His Christ are the Lord and His Humanity. In the church of His First Advent, the Lords Humanity had come to be regarded as spiritual, but not Divine; therefore as finite, and not having life in itself; contrary to the Lords express declaration, As the Father hath life in Himself, so likewise hath He given unto the Son to have life in Himself. For this reason the Lord appeared like a lamb as it had been slain. The Lord is spiritually slain when the Divinity of His Humanity is denied. In the church of His Second Advent this is acknowledged. It is not a doctrine of the true church that the Lord is equal to the Father as to His Divinity, but inferior to the Father as to His Humanity. The Divinity of the Lord is the Father, His Humanity is the Son; and the Father and the Son are equal and are one,---one Lord and one Person. This is taught in the declaration itself, that the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ; for it is added, And HE shall reign for ever and ever. It might, indeed, be argued that according to the grammatical sense, the Lord is He who is to reign. How then could the kingdoms be said to have become those of the Lord and His Christ? Can the kingdoms be Christs if the Lord only can be said to reign? The truth expressed in these words it is of the utmost importance that the church should know and confess. The glory and the power of Christianity are not only in the Divinity of Jesus, but in the Divinity of His Humanity. It was not as God, but as God-Man that the Lord overcame the powers of hell, and opened heaven to all believers. It is not as God, but as God-Man, that He subdues the kingdom of evil in the hearts of men, and establishes in its place the kingdom of righteousness; and that He there reigns for ever and ever.

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16, 17. When the seventh angel hall sounded, and the heavenly voices had sung the triumph of the Lord in the establishment of His new kingdom, the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshiped God, saying, We give Thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because Thou hast taken to Thee Thy great power, and hast reigned. The adoration of the elders has the same signification here as in the fifth chapter, where, in union with the four beasts, they glorify the Lamb, as worthy to take the book and open its seven seals. The heavens reciprocate the action of the Lord; and as He acts through heaven upon the church, so does the adoration of the church ascend to the Lord through heaven. The subject of their adoration is the Lords having taken to Him His great power and reigned. It is only necessary for us to consider this particular. Power here can mean only relative power. The Divine power, as it is in itself in the Lord, is infinite, and is ever the same. But His power in heaven and the church varies with their states. His power over them is proportionate to His power in them, and His power in them is proportioned to the hold which His love and truth have upon their hearts and minds. If angels and men should cease to love and believe in God, His power over them would be at an end. When evil and them is proportionally diminished; and something must be done to remove the cause, that men perish not, and that the church may be restored. When the Lord became incarnate, it was to bring Himself into a new and nearer relationship with His creatures, so as to be able to act upon them more directly and powerfully. On that occasion He took to Him His great power and reigned. But even this, it was foretold, would suffer diminution through the departure of the church from her first love, and her falling away into grievous error. The Lord therefore promised to give a new manifestation of Himself, by coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. On this occasion, too, the increase of His power is relative. It is effected by removing obstructions and re-opening the communication between the Lord and man. The written Word is the primary medium of this communication.

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A secondary medium of communication between the Lord and man is the angelic heaven. The Divine influence comes through the angels of heaven to men on earth, or through the church in heaven to the church on earth. But the descent of this may be obstructed by obstacles existing in the middle state, where all departed spirits first congregate, and where they remain till the final judgment. Supposing fifty generations of those who have formed the church on earth to be there assembled, great must be their power for good or evil, but finally for evil chiefly, since a declining church fills the intermediate state with those who have departed farther and farther from the purity of the truth and life of vital religion. The removal of these from the world of spirits is necessary before a new church can be formed on earth; and this can only be effected by a general judgment, which removes all to their final abodes. When the intermediate region, through which all heavenly influences pass to men on earth, is freed from those disturbing mediums, then can a new church on earth be established. The good in the world of spirits being separated from the evil, they first become receptive of the new influence, and constitute the beginning of the new dispensation; for of them are formed the New Heaven from which the New Church on earth descends.

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18. The elders continue, but in a different strainand the nations were angry, and Thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that Thou shouldest give reward unto Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear Thy Name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth. As those who became subjects of the Lords new kingdom are the good in the middle state, who were delivered by the judgment, the nations which were angry are the evil who were cast down. They are said to be angry, because judgment upon the evil is effected by laying open their inward states of life, when their concealed hostility to God, or to His goodness and truth, is brought out, and manifests itself in anger against them. But the judgment which casts down the evil raises up the good. The time of the dead, that they should be judged, though a time of wrath to the wicked, is a time of reward to the righteous. Reward and punishment are not, however, be understood as outward gifts and inflictions. In the spiritual world, and in spiritual life, reward is outward happiness springing from inward goodness, and punishment is outward misery flowing from inward evil; for good contains its own reward, and evil its own punishment. Three classes of the good who are rewarded are mentioned. Prophets and saints are those within the church who know the truth, and live according to it. These are the Lords servants and saints. Those who fear the Lord are those of all religions, who have any fear and worship of God; small and great being those who are less and more in the knowledge and life of their religious beliefs. While these are rewarded with eternal life, the evil are punished with eternal death. This is called destruction. And God is said to destroy them which had destroyed the earth. The church, which is meant by the earth, is destroyed by error and evil. But men destroy the church in themselves by destroying in themselves the principles of goodness and truth.

19. A further manifestation of the states of the good and the evil preceding the judgment is now described. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in His temple the ark of His testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 230

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 231

CHAPTER XII.       

ANOTHER stage in the progress of the Lords Divine work of establishing anew His kingdom upon earth is described in this chapter, opposed hero, as every such work is, by that evil power which ever resists the operations of infinite love and wisdom, from the perversion of which it sprung.

1. And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. The magnificent sight now presented to the Seer involves matter of the deepest interest and the utmost importance. The woman that John now saw in heaven is the same that he afterwards beheld coming down out of heaven. In both cases the woman is a figure of the church. In the present case she represents the New Church, the Church of the Lords Second Advent, as already existing in heaven, but not yet able to make her actual descent into the world. Her appearance in heaven at this juncture is in keeping with the events which precede, and forms a suitable conclusion to the series. The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of the Lord and of His Christ; the temple of God has been opened in heaven, and the ark of the covenant seen therein; and now appears in heaven an image of the church herself. Let us look upon this glorious appearance. The woman is clothed with the sun, the moon is under her feet, and upon her head is a crown of twelve stars. Throughout the Word the luminaries of the material heaven represent the luminaries of the immaterial-of the angelic heaven, the church, the human mind. The sun is the symbol of love, the moon of faith, the stars of the knowledges of love and faith. In predicting the endless glory of the restored church, the prophet addressing her says, "Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself" (Isaiah lx. 20).

In predicting the end of the church, which is the consummation of the age, commonly understood to be the end of the world, the Lord says, "Immediately after the tribulation of these days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven."

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2. The church being represented by the woman, what now follows must be understood in relation to the church. And she being with child cried travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. The church is spoken of in the Word as the mother of the faithful. "Jerusalem which is above is the mother of us all" (Gal. iv. 26). Those who are born again, or from above, are the sons and daughters of the church, who is their mother as truly as God is their Father. But there is a more abstract sense in which the maternity of the church may be understood. The church is the mother of the principles, the birth of which in the human mind make men the children of God. She is also the mother of the principles of goodness and truth, as made known to the world; for the church is the medium through which the Lord reveals Himself to mankind. But the church here represented is the church in heaven, and she cannot come down to the earth end dwell among men until they are prepared to receive her. The child with which she is pregnant is He who is to prepare them, by His role, for the descent of the church, whose offspring He is; and she now cries, travailing in birth, and pained to be delivered. Sin, which in the letter of the Word is said to be the origin of the pains of childbirth, is truly the cause of the pain and anguish with which the new birth is attended. The new birth is painful in proportion to the prevalence of evil and error.

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3. While the travail of the church is painful, a monster stands ready to devour her offspring as soon as it is born. And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads. It may, in the first place, be asked why this monstrous form should appear in heaven? Its appearance there will not surprise us if we call to mind a declaration of our Lord, that He beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. It may be more suitable to inquire what heaven that was in which the dragon appeared, in which there was war between him and Michael, and from which, like Satan, he was cast down. This could not be the heaven of angels. The book itself enables us to know what heaven is to be understood. For we read in chapter xx. that John saw a great white throne, and him that sat upon it; from whose face the earth and heaven fled away. This was the heaven in which the great red dragon appeared, the nature of which we shall consider more particularly when we come to this conflict with Michael.

As the woman is a symbol of the church which the Lord was to establish upon earth, the dragon represents that which is opposite and hostile to the church, and is in the desire and effort to prevent it from coming into existence. As the church, essentially considered, consists of the principles of love and truth, the dragon must represent principles of evil and falsity. These are terms of wide significance. Every true church has a peculiar character. Although the essential principles of the true church are always the same, being love to God and love to man, they differ in quality and degree according to the character of the church, as determined by the state and condition of the people among whom it is established. The love of God and the knowledge of God have a necessary relation to each other. Men may indeed know God without loving Him, but they cannot love God without knowing Him; and the character of their love has a necessary relation to the nature and extent of their knowledge. Christians can have a more perfect love of God than the Jews had, because they have a more perfect knowledge of Him, as He has manifested Himself in the person of Christ.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 234

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 235

It is by His Humanity being Divine that the Lord, as Man, is present with all men with all the power of His salvation; for the Lords saving power is in His Divine Humanity. As Man He redeemed, and as Man He saves us. As Man He fulfilled the law, suffered and died, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven; as Man He promised to be with His church always, even unto the end; and as Man He promised to come again in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. By virtue of His incarnation the Lord is Immanuel God with us, ever operating to quicken us, and make us like unto Himself. We can only be saved by being made like unto Him, by living with Him, dying with Him, and rising with Him. It is therefore by doing in our measure as He has done, and becoming like what He became, that we can b where He is; for heaven and the church are His mystical body, the image of His own glorious body. Love, faith, and obedience are the means by which this state is formed and perfected in us. The only condition of admission of admission into heaven is heavenly-mindedness. So much newness of heart and spirit, so much meetness for the kingdom of God. It is not surprising that such a religion as this should meet with opposition, both in the spiritual and in the natural world, from those who have divided the Godhead and degraded the Decalogue; who have in fact resolved salvation into faith, and this not faith in Jesus as our Savior from sin, but faith in what He has suffered to save us from punishment. This faith is the dragon, and his characteristics describe its nature.

In the 20th chapter the dragon is called "that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan." The serpent is emblematical of the sensual part of mans nature, or that which is called the flesh. The flesh lusteth against the spirit (Gal. v. 17), and there is another law in the members warring against the law of the mind (Rom. vii. 23.) This lusting and warring of the flesh against the spirit, and of the spirit against the flesh, are often spoken of and variously described in the Word.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 236

4. While the description of the dragon gives us to understand the nature of the principle he represents, that which now comes to be said of him describes its actions.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 237

How the tail of the dragon draws the stars and casts them to the earth, may be shown by a few examples of the manner in which those who advocate the doctrines he represents explain the truths of the Word, so as to bring them into a seeming compliance with their views. The Scriptures declare the unity of God, but this is explained to mean unity as opposed to the gods among many of the heathen. Our Lord said, "I and the Father are One," which is explained to mean that they are one God, but not one person. In regard to the commandments as conditions of salvation, our Lord said, "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil;" which is explained to mean that the Lord Jesus came, indeed, to fulfil the law, but to fulfil it, not as our example, but as our substitute. When He said to the young man, "If thou wilt enter into life keep the commandments," He addressed him, it is said, as a Jew, who was under the law; or, as some maintain, only to convince him that he could not keep the law, and therefore could not be saved by it. The Scriptures declare the Lord is our righteousness, and that all our righteousness is of Him; which means, it seems, not that He is the Author of our righteousness, which is wrought into us by obedience, but our substituted righteousness as imparted to us through faith.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 238

Having cast down the stars, the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born. The true church is ever opposed by the false, the new by the old; but it is against the doctrine that the opposition is immediately directed. This part of the prophecy describes the desire and effort of those who are in the doctrine of three Divine persons and of salvation by faith alone, to destroy in its birth the doctrine of the Lord and of life. Something like this occurs in relation to the Lords First Advent, in the attempt of Herod to destroy the young child as soon as He was born in Bethlehem; and we shall also find something similar in the Divine means for the preservation of the man-child to those appointed for the preservation of the child Jesus.

5. And she brought forth a man-child, who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron; and her child was caught up unto God, and to His throne. The birth of the man-child is the symbol of a great event. The man-child has been considered to be a figure of Jesus, not as to His person but as to His kingdom. The Lords kingdom is His government, and the principles of His government are the laws and doctrines of His Word. The man-child is the doctrine of the New Church, represented by the woman. Before the church in heaven can descend and become the church on earth, her principles must be made known among men. The church can only exist where her principles are known. Knowledge is the precursor of the church, as consisting of faith and love. How can we believe or love that of which we know nothing! The birth of the man-child is therefore the birth or revelation of the doctrine of the church which the woman represents. In agreement with His symbolic character, the Son born of the woman was to be a ruler and instructor of men. He was to rule all nations with a rod of iron. This symbol of His power seems to bespeak severity, as if He would chastise the nations as well as rule them. But both the literal and the spiritual meaning of His rod explain the true nature of his rule.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 239

But the birth of the man-child teaches another practical truth. There is a corresponding birth in every one who becomes a true member of the church. The principles of religion are conceived in the mind and born in the life. That principle, too, which the dragon represents, is present and active in the mind, ready to devour the heavenly principle as soon as it is Lord. Nothing good can be conceived in the spirit which has not its antagonist in the flesh; and every effort to produce it in the life meets with resistance from the natural will and understanding. The presence of good also excites evil, and inspires it with a desire to destroy it. It is this which gives rise to that mental conflict which is called temptation. This conflict continues till one is overcome, and the other obtains the dominion. But the new-born principle is not subjected to this trial. Providence protects it as it did the woman and her child. When the woman had brought forth her child, it was caught up unto God and to His throne. This is a circumstance deserving of our careful attention. It describes the nature of the Lords providential economy in certain conditions of the church and stages of the regenerate life. It is exemplified in other cases. When Moses was to be preserved, God did not forcibly prevent the Egyptians from slaying the Hebrew infants, but provided that the child should be hid, and, after being drawn out of the river, reared in the palace of Pharaoh. A far more precious life than that of Moses, even the life of Jesus, was not preserved by arresting the arm of Herod, but by removing the infant Savior from the scene of the massacre of the innocents in the first place, this teaches a great lesson. Many wonder why Divine power is not put forth to prevent evil. Let them reflect. Evil consists of motive and act. If the motive were removed the act would cease; but if the act were always forcibly prevented, the motive would resist all attempts to remove it. The purpose of the Lords providence is to remove evil from the heart as a motive. Therefore evil as an act is permitted, within certain limits, for the sake of this as an end. God indeed commands men to do no evil, and threatens them with punishment if they disobey. But if, in obedience to the command, men desist from evil, this is their own act, and they have a motive in doing it; and the one motive weakens and finally overcomes the other.

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The protection of good from the power of evil is effected by removing it out of sight, and this is especially necessary in its infancy, when the good is weak and the evil is strong. On several occasions, Jesus, when the Jews were enraged and threatened violence, removed Himself out of their sight. When an infant, He was carried down to Egypt to escape the rage of Herod. A case more formally like the present is that of Enoch, who "walked with God: and he was not; for God took him." In that instance the removal from earth to heaven of the knowledge of truth which men were no longer able to understand or appreciate is representatively described. In the case of the man-child, his being taken up to God and to His throne teaches us that a constant operation of Divine Providence withdraws sacred things from the power and even the presence of those who would destroy or profane them. We have already referred to this subject, and we have seen it exemplified in the case of the two witnesses, who, though killed and dishonored, were nevertheless, on being restored to life, taken up into heaven, beyond the reach of their enemies. In regard to the individual, good and truth, born in the rational mind, are taken up to God and His throne when they are raised into the spiritual mind, there to be cherished until by conflict evil has been overcome and cast out, as the dragon was by Michael, so that the heavenly principles of the new man may with safety be brought out into open manifestation. There is mention of God and His throne, which mean what is Divine and what is heavenly, for heaven is Gods throne; and the man-child is caught up to God and His throne when the power of Divine and heavenly love so penetrates and surrounds the genuine doctrine of the church, as to protect it from the power of evil.

6. While the child was caught up to God and to His throne, the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and score days. This is a state through which every new church, like every new man, has to pass. There is no safe way from Egypt to Canaan but through the wilderness.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 242

7. 8. And there was war in heaven: Michael and his angels fought against the dragon; and the dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not; neither was their place found any more in heaven. Foiled in his attempt to destroy the feeble and seemingly defenseless child at his birth, the dragon seems to have pursued him, when he was caught unto God and to His throne, and to have been met by Michael, who opposed Him in his evil progress. Such may be regarded as the outward aspect of the vision. But the vision is an outward sign of an inward state. To this we have to direct our attention.

The heaven in which there was war was not the heaven of angels, or of the just made perfect. That is the peaceful dwelling-place of those whose warfare has been accomplished. Strange as the notion is, war itself is commonly supposed to have first began in heaven. The dragon, as the old serpent, the Devil and Satan, is supposed to have been created an angel of light, and to have rebelled, and disputed the sovereignty of heaven with Him who made it. Such a fancy may do for epic poetry; but it is far too wild for sober truth. So far as this idea may be supposed to have had a Scripture origin, it has been derived from a wrong interpretation. There is no authority for it in the Word of truth. Satan is indeed more than once spoken of as having been cast down from heaven. The Lord saw Satan as lightning fall from heaven. But neither in that nor in this case are me to understand that to be the heaven of angels. It is that which was composed of those who remained in the world of spirits previous to the Last Judgment, who congregated there, and formed themselves into communions, which they regarded as their heaven, as being a condition which afforded them the means of enjoyment suited to their state.

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These doctrines are necessarily antagonistic. Those who maintain the doctrine of salvation by faith assert that all religious graces and virtues are included in faith, and flow front it as acts of faith, and no doubt many who believe in the all-sufficiency of faith do the works of love also. But the great evil is, that this faith has a tendency to lead away from everything but faith, or to make that of little or no importance. This conflict first commenced is the spiritual world, and was there continued till the dragon was cast out. The dragon prevailed not. The active power of principles is determined by the general condition of things. During the decline of a church the equilibrium between good and evil, and consequently between heaven and hell, is disturbed; and this continues and increases so long as the church continues to decline.

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9. A further result of the victory of Michael over the enemies of the woman and her child is now stated. And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. The dragon is now called also the Devil and Satan. These names are now applied to the dragon, not because he has changed his character, but because the conflict has further disclosed it. The dragon is now cast out of heaven to the earth. So far as this is descriptive of the process of judgment, it means the fall of those who had built for themselves fictitious heavens to the earth of the world of spirits. It is called the earth, because it is like the earth in this respect; it is neither heaven nor hell, but is in the midst between them. When we look into the causes of things, we find that this casting out and casting down is descriptive of a descent from a higher to a lower state. Indeed, the process of judgment itself, as we have said, is a process of unfolding and disclosing, according to the Lords words--"Whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed on the housetops." The act of judgment is nothing but the last result of the unfolding process, which places them either in heaven or hell, according to their own real state of good or evil.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 246

10. Although the casting down of the dragon is not a complete deliverance from his power, still his removal from the heaven, where he had been so formidable as to sweep the stars from the firmament, opened the communication which he had closed between the angelic heaven and those who were waiting for the kingdom of God, both in the world of spirits and in the church on earth. Happy will it be for those whose choice leads them not only to see but to combat this delusive principle of faith alone during their life in the world. This can only be clone by opening the mind to the reception of the truth. Therefore when the dragon and his angels were cast out of heaven into the earth, John says, And I heard a loud voice saying in heaven, Now is come salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of His Christ: for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night.

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11. Those whom the dragon accused, overcame him by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the death. The blood of the Lamb, as we have seen (chap. v. 8), has a deep and holy meaning. The Lords blood, in the natural sense, means His sufferings and death. It was through death that, the Lord overcame him that had the power of death. Yet death does not here mean natural but spiritual death. The Devil was not the cause of natural death; nor was it from this death that the Lord came to deliver us. He came to deliver us from spiritual death. His own death was not natural death only, it involved spiritual death also. In His death the Lord laid down, not only the life of the material body, but the life also of the fallen humanity which He had assumed.

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12. When the dragon was cast down, the cry went forth, Therefore rejoice, ye heaves, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth and of the sea! For the devil is come down unto you, having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time. The angels rejoice in all that regards the salvation of men. They rejoiced at the birth of the Savior, one of whose coming works was, to cast Satan down from the eminence he had usurped, both in the spiritual world and in the minds of men. Similar conditions existed at the time of the Lords Second Advent; therefore similar deliverances and similar rejoicings. But that which was a cause of joy to the angels in heaven was, in this case, a cause of woe to the inhabiters of the earth.

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13, 14. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought forth the man-child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. Disappointed in his expectation of devouring the child the dragon now persecutes the woman. The child was caught up to God and His throne; and the way to it was defended against the destroyer by Michael and his angels. The doctrine is safe, but the church is yet exposed to danger. We see in this a repetition of what took place in the world in the early times of Christianity. Herod attempted to devour the Man-child as soon as He was born. And when, after His resurrection, He was taken up into heaven and unto the throne of God, the Jews persecuted the church, as the dragon does here. The same plan of defense that the Lord then recommended is now adopted: "When they persecute you in one city, flee to another." The woman receives two wings of a great eagle, that she may fly into the wilderness. She experiences, though by another instrumentality, the wish expressed by the tried and wearied soul: "Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness" (Ps. lv. 6, 7).

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15, 16. When she flew into the wilderness, the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. Out of the mouth of the wicked come evil thoughts and all uncleanness; for from the abundance of the heart the mouth speeketh. When these are directed against the church or its principles, they come forth as reasonings. And those who are sensual--and such are especially meant by the serpent, can reason plausibly against the truth, and often persuasively in favor of error, since all are naturally inclined to favor whatever appeals to the senses. Such reasonings come in like a flood, and threaten to drown true reason, and sweep away its barriers and obliterate its landmarks. In this case the woman might have been carried away of the flood, but the earth helped the woman. A distinction is now made between the wilderness and the earth. Even when the fallen church is a wilderness, it is not wholly waste.

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17. Though unable to destroy her, the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. It is impossible to read this without being reminded of the first promise, "I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed." We do not need to consider this as an especial fulfillment of the first promise. Similar circumstances occur at similar epochs. The old serpent returns, and the woman who is the object of his assault re-appears. Every new church in its beginning has the serpent principle to contend with. The spiritual and heavenly are always opposed by the sensual and earthly. The church is opposed by the world. This is the constantly recurring conflict. The first church fell in the conflict; the last overcomes.

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The concluding part of this chapter involves a question of deep interest and of great importance. Will the New Church, which the woman represents, have a separate existence as an ecclesiastical body? or will she only exist in the minds of those who receive and nourish her, and extend her influence silently and invisibly, until she make the churches of this world the churches, or rather the church, of our Lord and of His Christ? Perhaps this is one of those questions we try to settle, which may safely be left to settle themselves. Future generations will not consider themselves bound to act according to our theories. One use of forming some opinion on the question is, to guide our own practice at the present time. Every recipient of the principles of the New Church must earnestly pray that they may gradually permeate all existing churches, and ameliorate, and if possible change, all existing systems. But while they pray for this, and rejoice that there are signs of its commencement and progress, they may, we believe, in perfect consistency with the catholicity of the principles of the New Jerusalem, form themselves into an ecclesiastical body, and call that body the visible church. We believe, indeed, that the present part of the prophecy sanctions, if it does not directly teach this.

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CHAPTER XIII.

1. IN this chapter we have an account of two beasts, one of which rose out of the sea, and the other out of the earth. These singular creatures are not only connected with the dragon, but they represent him; for he acts through them as his instruments, having given to the first beast, and through him to the second, his power, and His seat, and great authority. As the persecution of the womans seed is still continued, and is now carried on by these two beasts, we may regard them as the seed of the serpent opposed to the seed of the woman. Exercising the power of the dragon, they symbolize the same principle still further developed and more openly manifested. As the seed of the woman are those who receive and maintain the principles of the true church, the two beasts are those who hold and maintain the principles of the false church--of that branch of it at least of which this part of the vision treats. The beast which rose out of the sea represents those who receive the draconic principles more externally or superficially; and the beast which rose out of the earth represents those who receive them more internally or deeply. This arises from the meaning, previously explained, of the sea and the earth. The two beasts, therefore, represent the laity and the clergy, or the doctrine as it is received by them; for the clergy enter more deeply than the laity into the principles of their religious faith. But the Word treats not so much of persons as of principles. This is congenial to the spirit of religion, as it is to the spirit of the Word. It is important for all to know the character of principles; but it is not important that they should know the character of those who hold them. Indeed, no one can know this but the Lord, who alone knows the heart. We who only look upon the outward appearance cannot know the interior, and therefore the real, character of any one. This is wisely hidden from us in the present life, which is a life of probation, during which all are left in spiritual freedom, so that they may freely think and feel, and therefore freely choose, which they could not do if all their inward thoughts and feelings were known to those around them.

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As the dragon re-appears under these two mystic forms, we are to regard them as representing the two means and instrumentalities by which the draconic principle is supported. Religious principles are supported especially by reason and Scripture. Truth has the support of sound reason and the true meaning of Scripture; error can be supported by false reason and the apparent sense of Scripture.

The appearance of the first beast is so much like that of the dragon, that we need only attend to the points of difference between them. Both had seven heads and ten horns; but the dragon had seven crowns upon his heads, while the beast had ten crowns upon his horns. Crowns or diadems, have seen, are truths from the Word. Diadems upon the head mean truths from the Word in the mind; but diadems on the horns mean truths from the Word put forth for the purpose of proving and convincing. Instead of the seven diadems which the dragon had on his heads, the beast had on his heads the name or names of blasphemy. The meaning is essentially the same. Seven is a holy number; and seven diadems mean holy truths from the Word. But on the head of the dragon these truths are profaned; and the profanation of truth is blasphemy; the difference being, that this expression indicates a more open and complete violation of holy truth than the others. There were seven crowns on the dragon; there were ten on the beast; this number being expressive of abundance, brought forth to maintain the tenet which the beast himself represents.

2. But something more is required to complete the description of this beast, and through him of the dogma which he represents. And the beast which I saw was like unto a leopard, and his feet were as the feet of a bear, and his mouth as the mouth of a lion.

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3. But notwithstanding the power and authority the beast derived from the dragon, one of his heads was wounded to death. Such a wound must have been inflicted by "the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." And what is the teaching of the Word which inflicts this deadly wound on the doctrine of salvation by faith alone? It is its teaching respecting the necessity of good works. Not to mention the Old Testament, which is entirely set aside as the covenant of words, opposed to and abrogated by the New Testament, as the covenant of grace, we need only mention the Lords declaration that He came not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it; His answer to the young man, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commands;" and the repeated assurance that we are to be judged according to our works. These do indeed give a deathblow to the doctrine that we are saved by faith without works. If the doctrine is to survive, this death-wound must be healed. And we are told that his deadly wound was healed. And how was it healed? By so explaining the teaching of Scripture on this all-important point as to remove the declared antagonism of works to faith. The Lord did not come to destroy, but to fulfil the law; but He came to fulfil it Himself in our stead, and so relieve us from its penalties, and from its obligations as a condition of salvation. The Lord taught the necessity of keeping the commandments; but He taught this to a Jew, who was under the law.

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4. Satisfied with his claims, they worshiped the dragon which gave power unto the beast: and they worshiped the beast, saying, Who is like unto the beast? who is able to make war with him? To worship the dragon is to acknowledge the principle; to worship the beast is to acknowledge, the tenet. Were not the principle behind the dogma, it would have no power over the mind. To have such power, a doctrine must express the hearts inclination and the minds secret thought. Scruples and doubts may arise; but, when these have been removed, confidence in the soundness of a dogma is increased, so well expressed by the exclamation of his admirers. There is no doctrine like that which relieves the religious life from so galling a yoke as the yoke of the law; and who can gainsay the arguments by which it is supported?

5, 6. The doings of the beast are consistent with his character. And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months. Agreeably to the name of blasphemy written on his heads, he perverts the truths of the Word. And he does this so successfully that power is given him to continue forty and two months. The constantly recurring number which, however expressed, resolves itself into three and a half, tells us that the power of the dogmas he represents will continue till the end of the old and the beginning of the new. Having this power, he opened his mouth in blasphemy against God, to blaspheme His name, and His tabernacle, and them that dwell in heaven. The dogma he represents perverts the teaching of the Word, by denying the unity of God and the Divinity of His Humanity, meant by God and His Name; and when these essential truths are perverted, so are those respecting the doctrine and worship of the church, meant by the tabernacle, and the principles that constitute heaven, meant by them that dwell therein.

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7. From uttering unholy words the beast proceeds to the doing of unholy deeds. And it was given unto him to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations. Abstractly considered, the saints are the holy truths of the church. Falsity makes war against truths when it opposes itself to them. Direct and open war is never made against the truths of the Word by those who belong to the church. All profess to contend for the faith once delivered to the saints. But war against them may be no less real that it is waged in their name. And the more conscientious those who engage in such a warfare, the more dangerous they are. Those who have overcome the saints by overcoming the holy truths of the Word, or those truths of the Word that teach holiness of life as a condition of salvation, are no doubt able to some extent to overcome the saints themselves; for there is a seductive power in that which appears at once consistent with the teaching of Scripture, and agreeable to the natural desires of the heart. The prevalence of the doctrine is evidently meant by the power given to the beast over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations.

8, 9. But the prevalence of the doctrine, wide as it is, is only among a certain class. And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. The earth, as in all other instances, meaning the church, those who dwell in it are its members, or those who profess its faith. But here is the comforting assurance, that not all who profess this, or indeed any other erroneous faith, are its worshipers, but only those of them that are not written in the Lambs book of life; and all are written in His book of life whose lives are in agreement with the teaching of His book, however mistaken their views may be on matters of faith. Those whose names are not written in the Lambs book of life are the evil; and all are included in this number who, however true may be the doctrines they profess to believe, live to the world and the flesh. Error by itself does not condemn; truth by itself does not save. Nay, error paliates evil; truth aggravates it. So, with the evil, error makes the condemnation less, while truth makes the condemnation greater.

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10. The consequences of the doctrine to those who are practically in it are described by an expressive figure. He that leadeth into captivity, shall go into captivity: he that killeth with the sword, must be killed with the sword. Error leads into captivity when it deceives the understanding; it kills when it corrupts the heart. The true law of retaliation is here also laid down. Every spiritual injury that any one inflicts upon another returns upon himself. Every false and every evil principle has its punishment within it. He who rushes into falsehood and evil, rushes into their consequences. As goodness and truth are heaven and happiness, so evil and falsehood are hell and misery. But it is added, Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. The saints are those who are written in the Lambs book of life. They are not seduced, but they are tried. When error and evil prevail in the church, those who are not led away are nevertheless tempted to follow a multitude to believe error and do evil, and have to resist the tide that carries others along.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 259

11. But the other symbolic form of this faith now claims our attention. And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake like a dragon. We have said that those two beasts represent the draconic principle, as it unfolds itself among the simple and the wise, or those who enter more superficially and those who enter more deeply into the reasons and evidences of the faith, therefore among the laity and among the clergy. They constitute what may be called the external and internal members of the body. The beast which now appears has only two distinguishing marks; he has two horns like a lamb, and he speaks like a dragon.

It is not indeed said of this beast that he was like a lamb, as it said of the other that he was like a. leopard; but it is not unreasonable to believe that he simulated the character of the lamb, as well as assumed the semblance of his power, of which horns are the emblems. The lamb, whose character he simulated, and by whose power he professed to do his wonders, is the Lamb of God, that taketh sway the sin of the world. All religious teachers, in the exercise of their office, claim to be ambassadors for Christ, and set forth reconciliation with God and salvation from sin as the end of their teaching. But those represented by the dragon and his beasts teach not only the reconciliation of man to God, but the reconciliation of God to man. But what was the teaching of the apostles as ambassadors for Christ? It was this: "God was in Christ reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christs stead, be ye reconciled unto God" (2 Cor. v. 19, 20). Nothing is said here of Christ reconciling God to the world, nor even of Christ reconciling the world to God; but only of God in Christ reconciling the world to Himself.

But the apostle follows up this singularly clear statement with another, which is supposed to teach the vicarious nature of His atonement: "For He hath made Him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 260

It is but justice to those who hold that doctrine of vicarious sacrifice to say, that they do not speak of the death of Christ as a punishment that was pleasing to God, but as a terrible necessity, to vindicate His offended justice and outraged law.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 261

We have admitted the claim of Divine justice to satisfaction. It may therefore be demanded, Who is to satisfy its demands? So far as it can be satisfied at all, it must be satisfied by him who offends against it. By no other than the sinner himself can reparation be made. This may be considered presumptuous; but it is true nevertheless. It may seem presumptuous to those who have been accustomed to hear of the absolutely unforgiving nature of Divine justice and the inviolableness of the Divine law; and of the utter inability of sinners to satisfy their demands. But this elaborate system is not Divine but human. Having had its origin in the natural inclinations of the human heart, it has, like the dragon and His beasts, passed through several stages of development, until it has reached its present state. Yet there is no ground for the assertion that God ever required perfect obedience from imperfect beings, as all created beings are; nor is there any for the notion that God cannot forgive sin without full satisfaction; least of all is there any for the idea that Gods law and justice can be satisfied by punishing the innocent instead of the guilty.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 262

12. Of the second beast it is said that he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. The dragon gave all his power to the first beast, and the first gave all his power to the second; that is, the dragon exercised his power by the first beast, and then by the second through the first. Every heresy arises and proceeds in its development in this wise. First it springs up as a principle in the heart, then it is formed by false reasonings in the understanding, and finally it is confirmed by a false interpretation of the Scriptures. Such is the progress of the doctrine, the last stage of which is described here. The particular characteristic of this beast is, that he not only exercises the power, but acts entirely in the interests, of the former one. The former beast represents the doctrine as supported by reasonings; this beast represents the doctrine as confirmed by Scripture. On religious subjects men employ reason to interpret Scripture, and employ Scripture to confirm reason. That is to say, they employ Scripture to confirm their own interpretation of Scripture.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 263

13-15. John describes how the second beast carried out his commission to support the authority of the first. And he doeth great wonders, so that he maketh fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, and deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. The Scriptures record instances of the true prophet, but no instance of a false prophet, bringing down fire from heaven. The prophets of Baal attempted to do this but failed (1 Kings xix.). This mystic beast was to do a greater wonder than any actual deceiver had done before him. That which the true teacher brings down from heaven is the fire of disinterested love; the fire of sectarian love is that which the false teacher brings down. Sectarian love is the love of doctrine and of those who favor it.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 264

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 265

16, 17. And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. These different degrees and conditions of men being not natural but spiritual, small and great are those of less and of greater intelligence, rich and poor, those who have more and less knowledge, and free and bond, those who think for themselves and those who think from others. All these, therefore, men of all classes, must receive the mark of the beast in their right hands and foreheads. They must think and act in conformity with the faith of the church. Those who do not are not allowed to buy or sell. They must neither learn nor teach, unless it be in accordance with this faith. The character of this faith is meant by his mark, his name, and the number of his name. The mark, as a sort of hieroglyphic, includes all that the name expresses, and the name includes all that the number expresses, as a general principle contains particulars. The number is therefore the ultimate form and complete expression of all that the others contain. To this, therefore, we are directed, in order to discover and understand the character of the doctrine which the beast represents.

18. Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six. Many attempts have been made to explain the mystic number of this mystic beast. But those who have attempted to solve the mystery have misunderstood the meaning of the vision. How then could they explain that which forms so important a part of it? If they did not know what was represented by the beast, how could they know what is meant by the number of his name? The beast symbolizing the doctrine of faith alone, the number of the beast expresses the character of that doctrine.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 266

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 267

CHAPTER XIV.

1. IN prophecy, as in history, there are always two opposing elements, as in nature there are two opposing forces. From the beginning of Genesis, when the serpent appeared in Eden as the tempter of Eve, to the end of Revelation, when he is cast into the burning lake, there is a continual conflict between the powers of good and evil, of light and darkness. The powers themselves, considered as they are by creation, are not destructive of each other, or of order and happiness. On the contrary, like the opposing forces in nature, their equilibrium gives rise to peaceful and useful action. God and self, heaven and the world. reason and sense, spirit and matter are opposed to each other, but only as the two forces by which the planets are held in their orbits, and kept continually moving round the center of their life and light. All things consist of an active and a passive, and are held together by action and reaction. Strictly speaking, it is true, there is but one active power in the universe, and that power is God. What we call the activity of the powers of nature is but the re-activity of the power of God. While all the power of acting is from God, re-action may be agreeable or contrary to order. Orderly action consists in working together with God; disorderly action consists in walking against Him. Man only is capable of disorderly action, for only he has free-will. In God we live and move; and yet our life and action may be opposed to his. This possibility exists from the appearance that our life and our powers are our own. Without this appearance we could not act as rational beings; we could only act as we mere acted upon; like the inferior creatures, we should act from impulse and instinct, not front will and reason.

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2, 3. After John beheld these exalted ones, he heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of a great thunder: and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. The heaven from which the voice and the song were heard, may be called the Christian heaven, being that which our Lord had formed of the just made perfect through His work of redemption in the world. The angels had sung at the time of the Lords First Advent.

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4, 5. The character of these redeemed ones is next described. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guild: for they are without fault before the throne of God. It hardly need be said that there is no reference here to the vestals of the heathen temples, and the nuns of the Romish Church. Both were the fruit of religious error and moral corruption. Not till marriage was regarded as sensual and earthly, was perpetual virginity esteemed as spiritual and heavenly. The symbolic virgin of Holy Scripture, though pure, is loss perfect than the married wife. She is marriageable, and may even be prepared for her nuptials, hut she has not yet entered into the heavenly marriage. She is good and true, loving and faithful; but goodness and truth, love and faith, are not yet so fully united in her mind as to make her perfect before the throne of God. This is the case with the virgin church here represented; she is not yet the bride and wife of the Lamb. That is a consummation yet to come, and we shall find it in a future part of this prophecy. Meanwhile, the state of those who form this multitude is described. "They were not defiled with women." They form a contrast to the woman with whom the kings of the earth committed fornication (chap. xvii.).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 270

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 271

6. John now says, And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. This is the third angelic bearer of a solemn message whom John saw. After the sealing of the twelve tribes and the opening of the seventh seal, he beheld an angel flying through heaven, saying, Woe to the inhabiters of the earth (viii. 13). After this he saw another mighty angel come down, with a little book in his hand, which John was desired to eat. Now he sees an angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel. There is a connection between these three. The last is the most perfect manifestation of the Lords power, and the most joyous as well as triumphant result of His judgments. The company on Mount Sion represent those who were the first-fruits of the harvest which the Lord was gathering into His New Church in heaven; and this ingathering is followed by the commencement of the New Church on earth. As we have seen, the church begins in heaven as the world of causes, and thence descends to earth as the world of effects. Here, however, it is not the actual commencement of the church on earth, but the preparation for it, that is represented. Now that the way is prepared, first by the removal of the obstructions which the dragon presented, and then by the elevation of the good out of the middle state, the glad tidings of salvation can be preached anew. The angel is a symbol of the Lord Himself; but of the Lord as acting through heaven, or by angelic agency. The everlasting Gospel, or an everlasting Gospel, is the same Gospel which the Lord Himself preached on earth in the days of His flesh, but that Gospel rendered still more glorious.

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7. But the Gospel, as preached at this stage of the progress of the prophecy, is not yet entirely received as the Gospel of love and peace. For the angel was heard, saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to Him; for the hour of His judgment is come: and worship Him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. The fear of God is not necessarily slavish fear; but even when it is the fear of love, it is a reverential feeling, and all reverence is guarded by, though not necessarily mixed with, fear. Those who are exhorted to fear God are also required to give Him glory. And to fear God and glorify Him is to acknowledge Him as the Author of all goodness and truth. These are ever united in the Divine judgments. For although it is truth that judges, it is not truth alone, but truth in union with goodness. The angel, therefore, commands all to fear and give glory to God, for the hour of His judgment is come. This judgment in the general sense is that passed upon all, but especially which brings error and evil in the church into judgment, and after which a new church is commenced. These are also, therefore commanded to worship Him that made heaven and earth, and the sea and the fountains of waters. And they are required to worship Him as the Maker of all these, because they represent constituent elements of the church; and their Creator is the Being who founded and formed the church. This is the new creation which God was then about to effect after judgment. Heaven and earth mean the church in heaven and the church on earth, or the internal and external of the church. The sea and the fountains of water are Divine truths, as contained in the literal and spiritual senses of the Word, and the doctrines of the church as derived from them. Of all these the Lord is the Author, and as such He is to be worshiped.

8. After the angel who proclaimed the everlasting Gospel there followed another angel, saying, Babylon is fallen, is fallen, that great city, because she made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. Another corrupt principle of religion, with another branch of the church as its embodiment and exponent, now for the first time comes into view, but which appears prominently in a future part of the vision.

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9-11. A third angel now raises his warning voice, saying, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever. The introduction, after the proclaiming of the universal Gospel, of the two powers are opposed to it, is not without a purpose and a meaning. It teaches us, that the consequences of being drawn into evil and error in the presence of the truth, more serious than of being in error without knowing the truth. For this reason those who shall now worship the beast shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God. There is no wrath in God. Gods love is turned into wrath in the corrupt heart; and His truth is turned into a lie in the perverse understanding. The wine of the wrath of God is the truth of His Word turned into falsehood. As the cup is to the wine, doctrine is to truth, and the letter of the Word to its spirit, and the mind itself to the love and wisdom that flow into it. The perversion and destruction of both is expressed in the pouring out of wrath. The torment which is threatened, or rather mercifully declared, is simply the consequence of the evil state which the perversion of heavenly truth produces. The fire and brimstone loves with which the worshipers of the beast are tormented are the evil loves that burn in their own hearts, and the smoke of their torments is the falsity that proceeds from them.

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12. From these worshipers of the beast our attention is drawn to the worshipers of God. Here is the patience of the saints: here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. The saints are here introduced and have their patience exercised, because in troublous times, when there is a conflict between truth and error, and between good and evil, the faithful are brought into states of temptation. These states are not only unavoidable but useful they are the means of removing the dress and leaving the pure silver. And here again we see the character of true as opposed to false saints. Those under the dominion of the beast are the votaries of faith without works. The saints, on the contrary, are those who unite works and faith: they keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus Christ.

13. And I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me. Write, blessed are the dead which die in the Lord form henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and their works do follow them. If natural death only be understood, there is no obvious connection between this and the preceding verse; but if spiritual death is meant, we can see the two statements as parts of a series. Temptation, or inward conflict, with those who overcome, ends in the death of the old man, or the corrupt selfhood. This is dying in the Lord, and is that death of His saints which is precious in His sight (Ps. cxvi. 15). Blessedness is said to be theirs who die henceforth. Before this stage in the progress of events, when error and evil prevailed, both in the world and in the middle state, the means of opposing truth to error and good to evil were deficient; so that there was less of conflict between them. And there being less temptation, there was less purification; and there being less purification, there was less blessedness. Now that the universal Gospel has been preached, the case is different: henceforth there is both the light and the power required for conquest.

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14. The patience of the saints and the blessedness of the dead who die in the Lord are followed by a vision of judgment. This occupies the remaining part of the chapter. And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle. This appearance is similar to that in which the Lords Second Coming is described in the Gospels. The general belief on this important subject is formed from the literal sense of the New Testament prophecies. These prophecies are purely figurative, or rather spiritual, and can only be spiritually understood. Their literal fulfillment, once within the limits of unreasoning faith, are placed by science beyond the bounds of rational belief. The end of the world, the falling of the stars, the extinction of the son and moon, the appearance of the Son of man in the clouds, and the gathering of all nations before Him, are ideas only suited to an age such as that to which the Revelation was made. Not that the literal interpretation of Scripture is to be given up simply because it cannot be maintained. But He who inspired the sacred writers and prepared the vision for the Seer, knew the time of their fulfillment, and has given the light of science to bear witness to the light of Revelation, as it now shines by an enlightened interpretation. According to the spiritual sense, the end of the world, or consummation of the age, is the end of the church; the falling of the stars, and the extinction of the sun and moon, are the failing of religious knowledge, faith, and love. In the vision before us, the Son of man is the Lord as Divine Truth, or the Word.

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15-20. We now read of the appearance of three other angels; two come out from the temple and one from the altar. The first angel that came out of the temple cried to him that sat on the cloud, Thrust in thy sickle, and reap: for the time is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. When he that sat on the cloud had reaped the earth, another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, which had power over fire; and cried with a loud cry to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. There are here, then, two reapers, one who reaps the harvest, and the other the vintage, of the earth; one who gathers in the corn of the church, the other the wine. Corn and wine are two of the elements by which the life of religion is sustained; corn the good, and wine the truth of the church. "Corn shall make the young men cheerful, and new wine the maids" (Zech. ix. 17). But the church here treated of has left her first love, and forgotten the Author of her blessings, "She did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, which they prepared for Baal. Therefore will I return, and take away My corn in the time thereof, and My wine in the season thereof" (Hosea ii. 8, 9). The threatened time and season are come. The Divine bounties that had been given are to be taken away from those who abused them, and given to others, while they themselves are removed into a corner. These two reapers, one from the cloud and the other from the temple, one reaping the harvest and the other the vintage, represent the operation of Divine Truth, as it is in the letter of the Word, meant by the cloud and by one like the Son of Man, and as it is in the spiritual sense of the Word, meant by the temple and the angel who came out of it. In accordance with this character of the reapers is the nature of the harvest. Those who have only known the letter of the Word are judged by the letter, those who have known the spirit are judged by the spirit.

But the two who had the sickles, one in the cloud like the Son of Man and the angel from the temple, did not proceed to cut down the harvest until two others came forth and called upon them to reap.

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When the angelic reaper had gathered the vine of the earth, he cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. The wine-press is a common emblem of trial and of judgment; for these are intended, like the wine-press, to separate the good from the bad. In the individual they separate good from evil principles; in the church they separate good from evil men. Trial and judgment are also for the purpose of testing mens works, to bring out their essential and true character. This is the case here. The grapes, like all fruits, are emblematic of works and the present ordeal is to lay open the real character of the works of the worshipers of the beast, who were practically in the doctrine of faith alone. The wine-press is called the wine-press of Gods wrath, on the principle already explained, that God is represented according to mans state, evil in man producing the appearance of wrath in God. The wine-press was trodden without the city. In the Jewish economy, from which the figures in the Apocalypse are chiefly taken, everything unclean was carried, and every unpleasant thing was done, first without the camp, and afterwards without the city. Our Lord Himself was crucified without the city; for without the city was the emblem of what is out of the Church. When the wine-press was trodden, blood came out of the wine-press, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. Wine is called the blood of the grape; but these grapes yielded, not the blood of the grape, but the blood of guilty men. The city where the evil ones dwelt was Sodom and Egypt; and "their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah: their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are bitter" (Deut. xxxii. 32). That which the treading expressed was not, therefore, truth, of which generous wine is the symbol, but falsehood, of which the blood of slain men is figurative. But the remarkable circumstance connected with their blood is, that, as it flowed from the wine-press, it was so deep that it reached to the horse-bridles, and so broad that it covered a space of sixteen hundred furlongs.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 278

CHAPTER XV.

1. IN a previous part of this prophecy (chap. viii.), we read of seven angels with seven trumpets, the sounding of which, excepting the last, brought a series of calamities upon the earth.

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2, 3. Between the appearance of these messengers and the pouring out of their vials, there is seen, like a glimpse of glory through a rift in the storm-cloud, as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb. In the multitude standing on the sea of glass, singing the song of Moses and song of the Lamb, we can hardly fail to see a resemblance to the Israelites standing on the shore of the Red Sea, singing Moses song, as a thanksgiving to Jehovah, who had gotten them the victory over Pharaoh and his host. Like the Israelites, those who formed this company were celebrating their deliverance from, and their victory over, a powerful and insidious enemy, by whom they had been persecuted and enslaved. Further, those who composed this company were themselves Israelites; and their adversary, the dragon, had the chief seat of his empire in the city, which spiritually is Sodom and Egypt. If there is in this part of the Revelation a studied resemblance to that portion of the Israelitish history, there is every reason to believe that there is also a similarity of meaning. And if we know what is represented by the one, we may with some degree of confidence say what is signified by the other. Israel in Egypt represented the church in a state of bondage, and Egypt represented that which enslaves her.

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The true Israel consists of those who unite charity and faith in good works. This alone is true religion; at once of the heart, of the intellect, and of the life. So far as any religion separates these, and sets up one or other of them as the only condition of salvation, so far it is erroneous. The Egyptians represented those who make religion to consist in knowing, without regard to doing. And those who do this, however they make profession of religion, have neither faith nor love. It was Divinely foreseen, and even foretold, that in the last times the love of many should wax cold (Matt. xxiv. 13), and that the Son of man at His Second Coming would not find faith on the earth, that is, in the church (Luke xviii. 8). When there is no love there can be no living faith; and when there is neither love nor faith there can be no good works. But it is the doctrine of salvation by faith alone that is treated of in this place. The dragon is the emblem of this doctrine, and of the evil which results from it; and his two beasts are the means by which it is supported. The multitude on the sea of glass are those who have gotten the victory over the faith which had virtually set those principles aside. In obtaining this victory they pass through much tribulation. They have not only the outward influence, but the inward inclination, to contend with. And not until they pass into the eternal world, nor indeed until the harvest, at the close of the dispensation, do they obtain their final triumph and complete emancipation. It is then that they stand upon the sea of glass, and sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb. This sea of glass, like the Red Sea, may be regarded under two different aspects of the Red Sea having been the scene of Israels deliverance and of Pharaohs destruction. These two aspects are presented in the sea of glass mentioned in chapter iv., and the sea here described. The sea of glass seen before the throne signifies the new heaven in its ultimate degree, as consisting of those who are in general or common knowledges of truth, which are meant by the sea. That sea may be considered as being like, if not represented by, the Red Sea while the Israelites were in it and passing between its crystalline walls. But here the spiritual Israelites have passed through the sea, and now stand upon it, having gotten the victory over their enemies, Pharaoh and his host, who, when pursuing Israel, were overwhelmed by its returning waves, and now lie drowned in its waters, whose depths have covered them. The sea of glass therefore now signifies, not only general truth, but those who, having known these truths, had yet remained in evil, which the truth condemns, and which it ultimately judges. Those who are in this state are spiritually dead, as Pharaoh and his host mere naturally.

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And how appropriate is this song in celebration of the victory they have obtained! They have had to contend with the principle and the doctrine, that salvation is by faith alone, without the works of the law, not the ceremonial law only, but the moral law. How significant, too, under these circumstances, is the song of Moses and the sons of the Lamb! The Law and the Gospel united! Two that have been separated, and considered to be irreconcilably opposed to each other, are joined together in one grand harmony! Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and a life according to the commandments,--these are the very essence and soul of the song, because they are the two universal principles, the Alpha and the Omega, of all that constitutes Christianity. Nothing could afford a more convincing proof of the harmony of the Law and the Gospel than these redeemed and blessed ones singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb. It was the expression of their affections and perceptions, and the fruit of their experience. They had passed through the troubles and perils of life, and had found in the Lord and in His law the power which overcomes in the spiritual warfare; and they now unite these in their glorification. In all the praise and thanksgiving of the true church on earth, these two are united. There is no true worship but that which arises from the acknowledgment of Moses as the servant of God and of Jesus as God whom he serves. Moses is the servant of God when the law serves the Divine purpose of leading men to shun evil as sins against God, and to do righteousness as agreeable to His will. And Jesus is confessed to be God Himself when He is loved and worshiped as Jehovah in Divine Humanity.

But the theme of the song demands our attention. Great and marvelous are Thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are Thy ways, Thou King of saints. The Lords works of creation and providence, redemption and salvation, and His ways in all His dealings with His creatures, are just and true. We are the subjects of a moral government founded on the immutable principles of justice and truth.

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4. The spirits of these righteous ones exclaim, Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, and glorify Thy Name? for Thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before Thee; for Thy judgments are made manifest. Holy fear is the fear that springs from love, the fear of offending the object loved. Glorification is exaltation. In effect they say, "Who shall not serve Thee from love? who shall not glorify Thee from truth/ For thou only art holy." This is a confession which none but those who have been made holy can make. It is a confession which none but those who have been made holy can make. It is the confession not merely of a truth which all may rationally see, but of a truth which the sanctified only can know; it is a heartfelt acknowledgment that their holiness is from the Lord and is His. Of ourselves we are unholy; all our holiness is of Him; and to Him we should ascribe the glory. The nations who are to come and worship before the Lord, are those who are in simple good, like the well-disposed Gentiles. These readily receive the truth when it is made known to them; and the Lords truths are His judgments that are made manifest; for it is truth that judges between good and evil, sin and righteousness.

5. When John had seen the victorious company, and heard their song, he says, And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. The opening of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven is a sign as appropriate to the occasion as the song of the redeemed. The tables, on which the commandments had been written by the finger of God, were placed in the inmost of the tabernacle and the temple; and the Divine law was called the testimony.

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6. The seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues. They are sent forth by the Lord, and they are to test mens faith and life by what the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony represents, and to lay open their states of heart and mind in regard to the two essentials of the church, which are the doctrine of the Lord as the only God, and of a life according to His commandments. These angels are clothed in pure and white linen, having their breasts girded with golden girdles. The fine linen is their righteousness, the golden girdle is their love. The law is the truth, and truth practiced is righteousness. When the law is practiced from love, love is a zone that binds truth and its righteousness about the heart.

7. One of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever. The four beasts that surround the throne are the Divine Providence, through which the Lord guards His Word from being profaned, and which is immediately concerned in furthering the Divine purposes and operations in heaven and the church. The vials and their contents are the love and truth of the Word of God. Nothing but these can come from God. He is Love itself and Wisdom itself, and nothing but love and wisdom can come from Him. The wrath, we have seen, which is attributed to God, is His love acting upon those who are in opposition to it.

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8. When the angels had received the vials the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. The smoke from the glory of God was like the cloud which filled the Jewish tabernacle and temple, when the Lord appeared in it or over it, and symbolized that covering which is upon all the Divine glory, as the literal sense of the Word covers its spiritual sense. But as the cloud that came between the camp of Israel and the camp of the Egyptians, was a cloud of darkness to these but gave light to those, so this smoke of the Divine glory is a hindrance to entering into the temple till the plagues have dispelled the darkness by removing those who caused it. Regarding the temple as representing heaven, even those who had been sealed could not enter or be elevated into it until the confederacy of evil and error in the middle state had been broken up; for only when the evil are cast down can the good be elevated. In regard to the church and men in the world, they could not enter into the interior truths of the Word until the obstructions that had come to exist between heaven and the church, and between angels and men, were put out of the way. They could not enter into the true doctrines of the Word, nor into its spiritual sense, until light and influence from above should descend into the human mind; and this they could not do until the spiritual atmosphere had been cleared, so that the rays of the sun of heaven could penetrate it, and enter into the hearts and minds of men on earth, when the Lord could send out His light and truth, and lead them.

CHAPTER XVI.

AS this chapter treats of the pouring out of the vials, it may be necessary to consider what is the state of the church to which this relates.

The angels with the seven vials evidently follow up and complete what had been done by the angels with the seven trumpets. Both the sounding of the trumpets and the pouring out of the vials describe the process of searching and laying open the states of those in the spiritual world on whom the general judgment was to be pronounced; and the symbols themselves suggest that the pouring out of the vials was a still more searching and decisive operation than the sounding of the trumpets.

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Having explained the particulars respecting the angels with the seven trumpets, it does not seem necessary to enter so minutely into the subject of the pouring out of the seven vials. Our remarks on this part of the prophecy will therefore be more brief. That their distinctive character may be more clearly seen, we will, as we proceed, compare the plagues produced by the pouring out of the vials with the similar calamities that followed the blowing of the trumpets.

1. Having stated that the temple which had been opened could not be entered till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled, John proceeds to say, And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth. The temple out of which the angel came is the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven, which is the inmost heaven, where the Lord is in His holiness in the Word and in His Divine law; therefore the searching operation, which the pouring out of the vials denotes, comes from the Lord in the temple of His Humanity, and from His Divine law, by which all are tried, and according to which all are judged. The earth, upon which all the seven angels are commanded to pour out their vials, is evidently a general name for the church, whose states are to be fully and finally reduced to their own elements.

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2. When the first angel poured out his vial upon the earth, there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshiped his image. When the first angel sounded his trumpet there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of the trees was burnt up, and all green glass was burnt up. This describes the state of the church when false persuasions united with evil love, meant by hail mingled with the, consume the affections of goodness and truth, meant by the trees, and all that is vital in faith, meant, by the green grass. But the pouring out of the vial did not consume trees, but afflicted men who mean the faculties themselves of will and intellect which constitute human nature, and produced upon them a noisome and grievous sore. This sore means the breaking out and manifestation of offensive and grievous evils and falsities, which had lain concealed in the interiors of the mind, and which therefore indicated a corrupt state of the will and understanding.

3. When the second angel poured out his vial upon the sea, it became as the blood of a dead man; and every living soul died in the sea. When the second angel sounded, the sea became blood; but here it becomes as the blood of a dead man, which is evidently expressive of a more complete or deeper state of the falsification of truth. For shedding blood is symbolical of doing violence to truth, by depriving it of its life, which is goodness; but the blood of one dead, which is blood coagulated and corrupted, means, not merely corrupted by the life of evil. When the truths of the Word, and of the church as derived from the Word, are thus corrupted by the evils of a depraved heart, which have grown and acquired strength under the shadow of an erroneous faith, every affection and perception of truth dies; for these are meant by every living soul in the sea, which died by its waters becoming as the blood of a dead man.

4-7. When the third angel with the trumpet sounded, the rivers and fountains became bitter, and many men died of the waters. When the third angel poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains of waters, they became blood.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 287

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 288

8, 9. When the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, power was given unto him to scorch men with fire. And men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the Name of God, which hath power over these plagues: and they repented not to give Him glory. This is a severer result than that which followed the sounding of the fourth angel. The third part of the sun, moon, and stars was then smitten, and the day and night shone not for a third part. No effect was then produced upon men; now they are scorched with fire. The sun is the emblem of love. By the pouring out of this vial men were tried as to whether the love of God and of the neighbor was to be found amongst them. But instead of love to God and man there was found the love of self and the world. This love does not warm men; but scorches them. It burns up everything truly human. As a consequence, it leads men to blaspheme the Name of God; for self-love is the source both of hatred of the Divine Love and blasphemy of the Divine Truth. The fire of self-love burns sin into the heart and sears the conscience, and makes them so callous that men refuse to return by repentance to give glory to God as the Savior and Judge of men.

10, 11. When the fifth angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the beast, his kingdom was full of darkness; and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their deeds. The effect of the sounding of the fifth trumpet seems to differ from this. When the fifth angel sounded, the abyss was opened, and the, army of locusts issued from it. There is not, however, any real difference. The king and army of the locusts were the precursors of the dragon and His angels. They represented the same principle in a different stage of development and form of manifestation. The locusts issuing from the pit are the signs of false thoughts proceeding from evil intentions, in which false persuasions have their beginning and origin.

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12. When the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings of the east might be prepared. The sounding of the sixth trumpet loosed the four angels which were bound in the river Euphrates. Now, its water is dried up. There, the nature and tendency of natural reason are described; here its removal is represented. Euphrates is the symbol of reason. As one of the four rivers of paradise, it is the emblem of human reason as derived from and acting in harmony with the wisdom of God. But since the fall of man, his reason is naturally opposed to the wisdom of God; and he can reason in favor of any dogma which allows him to indulge his natural inclinations. For all error has its cause, immediate or remote, in a desire to reconcile the conscience to self-indulgence, which is sin. When in the time of visitation the truth of God is brought to bear upon reasonings in favor of error, they are seen to have nothing of sound reason in them. The water of the river, so great and imposing, is dried up.

By the drying up of the water of the river, the may of the kings of the east was prepared.

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13-16. This is not, however, the case with those who, by interior reasonings, have confirmed themselves in erroneous doctrines, least of all, perhaps, those who have deeply confirmed themselves in favor of the doctrine of salvation by faith alone. On the contrary, any exposure of their false reasonings is likely to excite them to hostility, and call forth other reasonings by which the truth may be opposed and their own doctrine supported. We find, therefore, that when the six seals had been poured out, laying open in their deepest ground the error and the means by which it is supported, Three unclean spirits like frogs came out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet. Frogs are the emblems of reasonings. And as the dragon is the emblem of the principle and doctrine of a divided Godhead and of faith alone, his now appearing to work his own will is a sign of the opposition which those who are in the principle he represents raise against the true faith and those who maintain it. These are said to be the spirits of devils, indicating that their reasonings originate in evil. They work miracles, but these are lying wonders. And they go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. These kings of the earth and of the world are evidently of an opposite character to the kings who come from the east; and are employed by the dragon to oppose in them the empire of truth and righteousness. The great day of Almighty God is the day of the Lords Coming. It is here, therefore, that the announcement of the Lords Coming to judgment is made; Behold, I come as a thief.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 292

17, 18. When the seventh angel had poured out his vial into the air, there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. The sounding of the seventh trumpet could not be described by the same figure as the pouring out of the seventh vial; for there could be nothing distinctive in this, since all the trumpets were sounded through the medium of the air. They are, however, alike in this, that they both produce an end of the existing state of things. The air, into which the seventh vial was poured, is the emblem of human thought. Next to the sun the air is the most important agent in nature. It is the medium through which the sun acts upon and actuates all things. So thought is, next to affection, the most importance agent in human nature; it is the medium through which affection acts upon and actuates all the faculties and powers of the mind. The intellect is to the mind what the lungs are to the body; and what breathing is to the one, thinking is to the other. Thought pervades all, and therefore expresses all.

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19-21. So great was the earthquake that the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great. The great city and the cities of the nations are the doctrines of truth and good, or of faith and charity. The division into three of the one city, and the falling of the others, is their dispersion and destruction. The flying away of the islands, and the disappearing of the mountains, is the departure of all the truth of faith and the good of love I and this is followed by destructive errors or falsities, which are the hailstones, every one the weight of a talent, the greatest silver weight being symbolic of the greatest of falsities. Men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail. The hail was but a symbolic expression of their own enormous errors; and these were the origin of their blasphemy, or of their falsifications of the Word as the source of truth. In the midst of these commotions and overturnings, the great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of His wrath. Although there is no obvious connection between the subjects, the language suggests an alliance. It is when the great city is divided and the cities of the nations fall that the great Babylon came into Gods remembrance.

Egypt and Babylon, as the two places of the captivity, one of the children of Israel, the other of the children of Judah, represent the two principles under the power of which the church falls when it leaves the home of its Father. First error, then evil. First false science, then self-exaltation. The declension of the primeval church began with eating of the tree of knowledge, and ended with erecting the tower of Babel. The Israelitish church began with the captivity of Egypt, and ended with the captivity of Babylon.

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CHAPTER XVII.

THIS and the following chapter treat of Babylon, which forms one of the leading subjects of the Apocalyptic prophecy. The character of Babylon is more especially treated of in this chapter; her fall and desolation are described in the next. Before entering into the particulars of the description the Seer gives of Babylon the Great, it may be useful first to inquire what is to be understood by Babylon, as treated of here and is other parts of Scripture. Although eminently, it is not exclusively, applicable to any religious body, but extends to all religious communities, and even to all persons who display the characteristics of what we may call the Babylonish principle. For in this, as in all other cases, the Word of God deals with principles, and only with persons and communities so far as they are actuated by them. Otherwise the Scriptures would, in some instances, be of local and temporary significance, except as historical lessons; but, dealing as they do with principles and states of mind, they remain for ever the same, both in meaning and power.

It will first be necessary therefore to inquire what in Scripture Babylon signifies or represents. The first instance in which Babylon or Babel occurs affords an easy means of ascertaining its character. Soon after the Flood, when men had multiplied, and the whole earth was of one language, they combined to build a city, and a tower whose top might reach to heaven; their object being to make themselves a name, and prevent their being scattered abroad.

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means of compassing its own ends. Self-love plays a prominent part in all the affairs of human life. The Babylonish principle is the origin of all despotisms, domestic and social, national and ecclesiastical. We do not say that despotism is an unmitigated evil. When it is the only alternative between tyranny and anarchy, between preservation and dissolution, it is a less evil to prevent a greater, and therefore is the best under the circumstances. Despotism is even a schoolmaster to bring nations and churches to liberty. It preserves forms and habits of outward order and subordination, and leaves time and opportunity for the growth of the mind in the principle of rational order and voluntary obedience. No doubt despotic power is commonly opposed to liberty, and endeavors to repress it. But the very efforts to repress liberty are often the means of stimulating its growth, and hastening the downfall of the opposing power. But it is in reference to its activity and power in the church and in the affairs of the religious life that the Scriptures treat of it. Those who seek to acquire power and dominion by means of the holy things of the church are the spiritual and mystic Babylon.

It would be easy to show from Scripture that this love of self and of self-exaltation is depicted by Babylon whether historical or prophetical. A single passage is sufficient to show the character of the evil which Babylon represented. "How art then fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art thou cut down to the ground, which didst weaken the nations!

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Belshazzar, when he and his princes, his wives, and his concubines drank to the praise of their idol gods out of the sacred vessels of the Temple, was an image of the profane use of holy things to gratify the lusts and passions of the carnal mind. The handwriting that appeared upon the wall, like the arrestment of the building of the tower, was a sign of the Divine judgment which wickedness, when it has reached its height, always brings upon itself.

There is another prominent feature in the character of the Babylon of Scripture which requires to be attended to, which is expressed in the name itself, and which carries us back to the building of the city and the tower. To prevent the completion of their presumptuous work, and frustrate their ambitious design, the Lord confounded their language, and scattered them abroad upon the face of the whole earth; therefore the name of it was called Babel, or Confusion. When self-love, which is the root of spiritual pride, clothes itself with the forms of religion, and pursues its unholy ends by holy means, it becomes of religion, and pursues its unholy ends by holy means, it becomes what the name Babel implies, Confusion. Self-love and its kindred affection, the love of the world, are not in themselves evils. On the contrary, being, like the serpent in Eden, created or ordained of God, in their own nature they are "very good." They are good when they occupy their own place and perform their appointed use. Their own place is that of subordination to the love of God and the neighbor, and their appointed use is to be subservient to them. This is the true order. When, on the contrary, self-love exalts itself above the love of God, and the love of the world above the love of the neighbor, this is disorder, and disorder is confusion. It is the inversion of Divine order. And as Divine order is the law of human happiness, that order inverted is the law of human misery.

Inverted order does not always betray its character by evident signs, but more frequently manifests it remotely by its disastrous effects. There may even be a greater appearance of order where true order is destroyed.

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But the permanence of such a condition of things was impossible. The human mind must either sink below or rise above it. Religion, once fallen, must either suffer extinction or obtain regeneration. Happily the providence of God never permits evil completely to triumph, nor good entirely to fail. The equilibrium between them may be greatly injured, but is never entirely lost. Divine power interposes at the right time, and restores the balance. The times and the seasons for interposition are in His hands. The Lord may come at an hour when men think not. The time of security is often the time of judgment. When men are combining and laboring to raise for themselves a perpetual habitation, and make for themselves an enduring name, when their confidence in the stability of their work is greatest, at that very time their hour may be come. It was when the city had reached its completion, and the tower had almost reached its height, that the Lord came down to see the mighty edifice which the children of men had builded.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 299

The check which the Church of Rome received at the time of the Reformation is not the event described in these two chapters of the Revelation. The Reformation was a revivification, not a new creation. It was like the resurrection of Lazarus, who was again to die. It was the return of the shadow on the dial, to be followed by the setting of the sun. The Reformation lengthened the day, but did not prevent the coming of the night. The night which closed upon the whole church was its complete and final end, its Last Judgment. It was the night in which the Son of Man came as a thief, unseen, unheard unexpected; and what under these circumstances is not surprising, having come, is unbelieved, and therefore unacknowledged. The end of a church or the close of a dispensation, may not immediately affect its condition, or end its existence, as an ecclesiastical institution. As judgment is an event which takes place in the spiritual world, its immediate effects are spiritual, therefore invisible. They only begin to manifest themselves and produce their outward effects as the states of men begin to change. A new revelation is made, and new influences begin to act. And not more rapidly and more widely than their combined operation proceeds, does the old give place to the new. It is a wise and beneficent Providence that so orders it. The same law regulates every great spiritual change as that which ruled the great spiritual change in the typical church. When Israel entered on their inheritance, and judgment fell upon the nations, the Divine Judge and Benefactor said, "The Lord Thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee" (Deut. vii. 22). Whatever keeps mens animal nature in subjection is not to be hastily removed, even for the substitution of a higher and more perfect ruling power. Gradual advancement is a law of Providence, as well as of nature. All true progress is the Lords work, and He will hasten it in His time.

We now proceed to consider the vision.

1, 2. As on previous occasions, John is introduced by a celestial guide to the new scene that is to be opened up to his wondering sight. And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication.

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cannot exist unless the two heavenly principles, the union of which constitutes that marriage, are preserved pure. This is the true reason that the Mosaic law was so severe against fornication and adultery, and that the prophets so frequently employ them to describe religious and spiritual corruption; and this is the reason why the woman who sat upon the scarlet beast is represented under the hateful but shameless character of a great whore. This woman is Babylon. We find Babylon, as we afterwards find the New Jerusalem, under the figure of a city and of a woman--here the corrupt city and lewd harlot, there the holy city and chaste wife. Woman is the emblem, as she is the created impersonation, of that essential element of all lifeaffection. The church is a city as it exists in the intellect, a woman as it exists in the heart. Babylon, as a woman, represents self-love, the New Jerusalem, as a woman, represents love to the Lord. In whatever heart self-love is the ruling affection, there the Babylonian woman sits enthroned. The many waters upon which she is said to sit are afterwards (verse 15) explained to be peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. The religious aspect, and therefore the spiritual idea, of peoples and nations, is that in which inspiration regards them. And as all religions within the church are derived from the Word, either by a right or a wrong interpretation of its truths, the truths of the Word are, abstractly, the waters on which she sits, and over which she rules. As the nations, so the kings and inhabitants, of the earth are to be spiritually regarded. As the peoples and nations are the truths of the Word, the kings who govern them are its leading and governing truths. These are corrupted where self-love has dominion; for self-love makes all things, even the highest and the holiest, subservient to its own ends. When the end is selfish, all else is corrupt. Self-love in the heart prostitutes all truth in the understanding, and intoxicates all its thoughts. The drunkenness so often mentioned in Scripture is the intellectual infatuation produced by the abuse of truth, in taking it, not for use, but for selfish gratification.

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3. What the angel invited John to come and see, he now shows him. So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. The angel who showed John the bride and wife of the Lamb, carried him away into a great and high mountain. The angel who showed him the scarlet woman, carried him away into the wilderness. That was on the new earth, this was on the old. The Babylonian church was in the wilderness. It was in a state of desolation The woman whom the angel had spoken of as sitting on many waters, John saw sitting upon a scarlet beast. There must be some relation between these two appearances. The waters, we have seen, are the truths of the Word, the beast represents the Word itself The Lord was seen by John in vision riding on a white horse and the armies of heaven followed him on white horses. Jehovah rides upon a cherub (Ps. xviii. 10). The Lord rides upon the Word of truth. It is this which brings him near to His church and to the human mind. Its truths and doctrines, are His horses and chariots of salvation (Hab. iii. 8). Every church claims to have its foundation in the Bible; and the Christian professes to make it the ground of his faith and hope. But it differs in different minds. That which is a bright cherub in respect to the Lord, under the scarlet woman is a. beast full of the names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. To those who make it subservient to their ambitious views and selfish interests, the Word of God is full of the names of blasphemy, for its holy truths are profaned, and profanation is blasphemy. The cherubim, judging from the cases in which they are described, had four heads; for the Word which they symbolize is accommodated to the different states of men, according to their capacity for goodness and truth, and for their conjunction. But the scarlet-colored beast had seven heads and ten horns. As there is no natural, there must be a mystic relation between the number of its horns and the number of its heads. In their symbolic sense, numbers are expressive of the qualities of the things numbered. The head is an evident emblem of the intellect, therefore of whatever belongs to the intellectknowledge, intelligence, truth; and the horns of the head are the emblems of intellectual power. Knowledge is power. And in the religious world, knowledge from the Word of God is a power either for good or evil.

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4, 5. The woman herself was arrayed in purple and scarlet color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. How illustrative of the subject is this emblem and its designation! A beautiful but morally polluted creature, clothed in the most gorgeous apparel, and glittering with a profusion of the most precious jewels! How true to life, how faithful to analogy! Beauty, Gods created physical expression of moral loveliness, has its appropriate adornings; and just because outward adornment exalts the beauty of the pure, is it so ardently desired to deck the persons of the meretricious. The same principle pervades the whole of human life, even that of religion. Wherever there is a true and a false, the false emulates the true, and sometimes excels it in its careful attention to outward embellishment. As the riches of nature lie open to the virtuous and the vicious alike, so do the treasures of the Word to the sincere and the insincere. Both may enrich and adorn their minds with its bright and precious truths--its purple and scarlet, its gold and precious stones and pearls. The corrupt daughter of Babylon may put on the beautiful garments and the rich jewels of the virgin daughter of Jerusalem.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 304

It might seem that none could be deceived, although they might be seduced by the woman, since her character is so plainly written and so prominently exhibited. But Babylon is herself a mystery. No one can understand the MYSTERY of Babylon until he knows the meaning of the NAME, not as a distinctive appellation merely, but as the sign and exponent of her character. It has been the practice of Christian expositors to apply this part of the prophecy to some particular ecclesiastical body, the two great opposing sections of the church generally applying it to each other. And no doubt ifs character may be seen more fully exhibited in that one which claims infallibility and asserts its exclusive catholicity, which asserts itself to be the church, and pronounces all others to be heretics.

It has been maintained that Babylon cannot be intended to symbolize the church in a corrupt state, for if so, she would, as the unfaithful spouse of Christ, have been called, not a harlot, but an adulteress. But both of these epithets are applied to the church which had once been the Lords wife. Addressing His backsliding people, the Lord says, "Plead with your mother, plead: for she is not by wife, neither am I her Husband: let her therefore put away her whoredoms out of My sight, and her adulteries from between her breasts" (Hosea ii. 2). The church may be guilty of both these sins, because she may be guilty of the two spiritual evils which they represent. Spiritual adultery is the profanation of good of religion, and spiritual whoredom is the profanation of its truths. The spiritual Babylon is no doubt guilty of both; but she is here presented as the profaner of the truths of the Word, as the mother of harlots, or heresies, and as she who makes the kings of the earth drunk with the wine of her fornication; for both harlots and kings and wine have reference to truths, either in their purity or as corrupted and profaned.

We shall see, however, when we come to treat of the marriage of the Lamb, as announced in the nineteenth chapter, that there is a sense in which the union of the Lord with the church of His Second Advent is the only complete and full marriage of the Lord and His church; so that the single epithet here applied to the woman on the scarlet colored beast, may be understood in its restricted sense.

6. But the character of Babylon, so well expressed in her name, is shown by her deeds. And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. It is too true that the church which, in her earlier days, suffered so much from persecution, became herself a persecutor. Not only infidelity but heresy was considered a crime, deserving the severest punishment.

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7. While John stood lost in amazement at the terrible sight he beheld, a heavenly voice recalled him to reflection, and offered to unravel the mystery.

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8. The beast, he says, that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beat that was, and is not, and yet is. The existence and non-existence of the beast at the same time is not difficult to understand. In itself the Word of God was, and is, and ever will be; but in relation to the church which has corrupted its testimony, it is not; for the Word has no actual existence with any but those who know and acknowledge its truth, and hold that truth in righteousness. A corrupt church, like an unfaithful Christian, may both have the Word and be without it at the same time; may theoretically acknowledge and venerate the holy Book, and yet practically deny or profane its teaching. When the church is in this state, the condition of the Word is described by that of the beast, which is said to ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition. The Word is in the bottomless pit when its truth is falsified; it is in perdition when its good is adulterated. The bottomless pit or abyss has its meaning from the unfathomed or fathomless depths of the ocean: perdition means destruction. These stages in the decline of the church, and in its treatment of the Word had this effect. While the Christian church was in its first stage of declension, it was yet an unsettled question whether the Scriptures could be trusted in the hands of the laity; when it had passed into its second stage, the negative became a settled point, and in the unreformed branch of the church it so remains. The reading of the Scriptures has never indeed been expressly forbidden; but it is no less practically denied. In the language of the prophecy the beast has ascended out of the abyss and gone into perdition. The Romish church claims not only to be the sole and infallible interpreter of Scripture, but places her decisions above its teaching.

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9. After declaring the mystery of the beast, the angel explains what is meant by its seven heads and tell horns. And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth; and they are seven kings. The mind that hath wisdom is the mind that sees these "revelations" as unfolded by the law of correspondence, or the relation which exists by creation between the spiritual world and the natural, and between spiritual and natural things. According to this law, mountains correspond to love and kings to wisdom. We have seen (verse 3) that the seven heads of the beast are emblematical of knowledge and intelligence derived from the Word. The Word is nothing, and therefore teaches nothing but goodness and truth, or what is the same, love and wisdom, charity and faith.

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10. The angel now delivers some mysterious sayings respecting the seven kings. Five are fallen, and one is, and the other is not yet come; and when he cometh, he must continue a short space. The seven kings are all the primary and holy truths of the Word; primary as being kings, holy as being seven. But of these five are fallen. Isaiah describes this state of things where he says, "Judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey" (lix. 14, 15). These are the kings that are fallen in the street of that which was once the city of God, His church and kingdom upon earth, but which has now become "that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth"--which rules over the truths of the church. Still, of the seven one is, and the other is not come. The kings that are fallen are truths relating to the neighbor, that teach judgment, and justice, and equity; the kings that remain are truths relating to the Lord. There are two primary Scripture truths, or classes of truth, that relate to the Lord: one teaches His Divinity, the other teaches the Divinity of His Humanity. The truth which teaches the Divinity of Christ, and that, as the Savior God, He has all power in heaven and on earth, is, and has always been, acknowledged in the church. This truth is the one king which IS. It is of the Lords providence that this Divine truth should never fall; for it is the foundation on which the church essentially rests. It was therefore providentially preserved, and enshrined in the creed, which, ever since the Council of Nice, has formed the faith of Christendom. But this was only one of two regal truths relating to the Lord Jesus Christ. There is another, which the creed does not contain. It does not contain the truth, that the Lords Humanity is Divine.

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11. Another part of the angels mysterious explanation remains. And the beat that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition. The beast, we have seen, is the Word of God, and the seven mountains and seven kings are the principles of goodness and truth which the Word contains and are derived from it. But what is the meaning, in reference to the Word, of the beast being the eighth, and yet of the seven? The Word is the fountain of goodness and truth. The fountain is in the streams that issue from it; but the fountain is more then the streams. The sun, as the fountain of heat and light, is in all the rays that proceed from him, each of which is an atomic sun; but he is more than them all, and distinct from them all. So the Word of God, as the fountain of goodness and truth, is in every good and truth that comes forth from it; but it is, at the same time, above and distinct from them all. In the mysterious language in which the Word describes itself, it is thus the eighth, and is of the seven. But this enigmatical language has a more interior, and therefore a more exact and instructive meaning. The number seven, we have seen, is expressive of holiness; the number eight, like the number two from which it is derived, is expressive of union. The Word is holy, and is holiness itself; and this quality is expressed by its being of the seven.

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12-14. The remaining portion of this chapter treats of two classes of persons, distinct from each other, but both of them different from that described under the figure of Babylon. The first of these two classes is described in these verses. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for He is Lord of lords, and King of kings; and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. Those who form this class are not represented as being opposed to the woman, but yet as giving their power and strength unto the beast. It is easy to see, and it is difficult not to see, in this class, those who are not hostile to the church of Rome, but who yet ascribe to the Word of God the authority and power which that church had arrogated to herself, find which she vested in the pontiff, whose virtual claim to infallibility she has now established by a formal decree. There have always been some in the Romish church who objected to the papal claims, and who gave the power of their love and the strength of their faith directly to the Word, and thus to the Lord. The old Catholic movement in our own times is a broad and striking instance of this. The leaders of that movement desire to remain in communion with the Catholic church, but, in the language of the angel, they have one mind, and Give their power and strength unto the beast. Among the Catholic nations there is a considerable diversity in the degree of their devotion and submission to Rome. How different in this respect are France and Spain! Nor is the difference in popular sentiment only. Some of the most illustrious names of Catholic France are to be found among the Jansenists and Port Royalists, who manifested in their writings and conduct the power of Divine Truth, symbolized by the ten horns which are ten kings.

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15. The angel now returns to his first statement respecting the woman. And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. We have already considered this meaning of the waters mentioned in the first verse, and need only remark on the cause of its being introduced here. The waters are the truths of the Word. First they are mentioned as in subjection to the church, and prostituted by her, for she is the unchaste one that sitteth on them.

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16, 17. The second of the two classes of which we have spoken comes now before us. And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts to fulfill His will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. These, it is clear, are directly and openly opposed to the church described by the woman. This class includes all those who have not simply dissented from the Papal claim, but who have seen, more or less clearly, and have opposed, more or less strongly, the general intellectual and moral corruption of the church. The ninth and tenth centuries were the darkest in the history of the church, as well as of Europe. In the twelfth century the Albigenses stood out against the errors and corruptions of the church, hut were persecuted with relentless fury till the whole sect was exterminated. Besides the Albigenses of France, the Wykliffites of England and the Lollards of Germany revived and kept alive the claims of spiritual freedom and of the Word of Life; for God had put into their heart to fulfil His will. At last the Reformation arose. That was but the culmination of a movement that had been going on for generations in the minds of the men of Christendom. Dark as the agree were, the light had never been entirely extinguished; evil as they had become, good had not entirely failed. Supreme as the will of the Pope had become, God had put into the hearts of many to fulfil His will, and give their kingdom unto the beast. That which the ten kings were to fulfil does not mean the will of God, but the will of the beast. This shows that the beast is an emblem of the Word of God, and that the will and teaching of the Word are opposed to the will and teaching of the Pope and of the Romish church. On this ground the ten kings agreed, or had one will, to give their kingdom unto the beast. Those who in all ages of the fallen church have been the exposers of its corruption and opponents of its despotic power, have had this as their great object, to bring the Word from its prison house, either as concealed from the people in the words of an unknown tongue, or withheld from them by the vigilant watchfulness of a debased and interested priesthood. The great achievement of the Reformers was to give their kingdom unto the beast.

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18. The angel ends his discourse by saying, And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. In this and some other points there may be a coincidence between the literal and the spiritual sense. At one time the church ruled over all the kings of the Christian world. The spiritual cause produced the natural effect. The church at one time had all the intellectual power of Christendom; and the dominion of the spiritual over the temporal power was the result. Had the power of the church been exercised for the good of mankind, and not for selfish aggrandizement, she would have labored to enlighten the nations instead of enslaving them. But the assumption of the right to rule over the truths of the church led to the claim of the corresponding right to reign over the kings of the earth. A more general enlightenment and a higher intelligence have wrested that power from her grasp, and her rule over the truths of the church will in due time pass from her hands.

CHAPTER XVIII.

A NEW scene, but one intimately connected with that which we have considered, now opens to our view. The character of Babylon is disclosed in the previous chapter, the judgment of Babylon is described in this.

1. And after these things I saw another angel come down from heaven, having great power; and the earth was lightened with his glory. Another angel because another phase.

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2. And he cried mightily with a strong voice, saying, Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. A strong voice bespeaks a strong will. The Divine will is infinite love. The voice of Divine truth that announces or pronounces judgment is also the voice of Divine love. In all His judgments the Lord remembers mercy. The Lord never judges from truth alone, but from truth and love united. It is not the Judge but the judged that separates them. The evil have the truth without the love, and thus receive judgment without mercy. "Babylon is fallen, is fallen," is a cry of love as well as of truth on the Lords part, and it is the announcement of a double fall on the part of the church, a fall from love and a hill from truth. As Babylon is great, her fall is great. Not error alone, but evil and error united, make the church and the man of the church great in iniquity, and make their fall great. And those who have fallen from truth and love become as a consequence the habitation of demons, nod the hold of every foul spirit, and the cage of every unclean and hateful bird. Self-love and the love of the world are the demons that possess them, the lusts that they inspire are the foul spirits, of which their affections are the hold, and the impure, wicked thoughts are the unclean and hateful birds, of which their understandings are the cage.

3. The reason for the judging of Babylon is, that all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and the merchants of the earth are waxed rich through the abundance of her delicacies. The profane mixture or union of principles that are in their nature abhorrent to each other, which is characteristic of Babylon, is described in these words. Goodness and truth are homogeneal and congenial to each other, and their union forms the heavenly marriage, and heaven itself. Evil and falsity are similarly allied, and their union forms the opposite of the heavenly marriage and of heaven. There are, however, two unnatural combinations and conjunctions, that of good with falsity and of truth with evil. These are here represented as taking place.

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4. And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. This new voice from heaven is the voice of exhortation, and one to which we shall do well to take heed. In the natural sense it would seem to be a call to give up fellowship with a corrupt religious communion. We do not say that this is not a duty. But the spirit of the present exhortation is still more practical. It is possible to break off connection with a religious body without forsaking its evils, and to remain in communion with it without being a partaker of its sins. But there is one coming out which, whatever communion we may belong to or forsake, is an imperative Christian duty, and saves us from participating in a common sin. Self-love is the Babylonish principle. It has a place in all hearts, and perhaps in all communions, and therefore in all human affairs. It is the source of more than half the evil and bitterness of public and private, of social and domestic, life. In its strictly religious aspect it shows itself in persons and sects trusting in themselves that they are righteous, and despising others. So far as, individually and collectively, we are in self-love, we are in Babylon. From this evil love we must come out, that we partake not of her sills nor receive her plagues. Before we can forsake an evil we must, however, know what that evil is--its character and consequences. It is to those who know and understand this that the exhortation is addressed. They are the Lords people. Spiritually, people and nations are those who are respectively in truth and in good. We may be in the truth, and yet be under the influence of self-love; we may be the Lords people, and yet be in Babylon.

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5. As a reason is assigned for judging Babylon, so is there for exhorting the Lords people to come out of her. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. What is the import of this reason? It appears as if the sin of Babylon is to be allowed to go on until it has reached to heaven, when the Divine remembrance of her past sins is to be awakened. Although free-will exists, evil has its limit. The limitation of evil is the preservation of free-will. Free-will depends on the equilibrium between evil and good, and therefore between heaven and hell. If the power of evil were to overcome the power of Good, the power of choosing between them would be lost. When the power of evil so increases as to threaten the existence of the balance on which free-will depends, the evil must be restrained by judgment, which is indeed as natural a result of the excess of evil in the moral atmosphere as the thunderstorm is of an excess of electricity in the air. Judgment, like the thunderstorm, restores the balance. It is when her sin reaches to heaven, and the powers of heaven are shaken (Matt. xxiv. 29), that God remembers the iniquities of Babylon that have risen to this daring height, and threaten the stability of heaven, both among the angels and in the minds of men. This is the truth revealed here, and wherever in the Word we read of sin reaching to heaven, and of God remembering the sins of men.

6, 7. Besides exhorting the Lords people to come out of Babylon, the voice lays on them this injunction: Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double, according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. The law of retaliation, the enforcement of which is here enjoined, originated in the celestial law, Do unto others as ye would they should do unto you. Being a law of Divine order, its rule is as universal as the Divine government.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 318

These calamities overtake the woman for her inward boast, "I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow." The difference between the evil and the good, the false and the true, is very striking and instructive. Pride and humility, self-confidence and self-distrust, are their opposite characteristics. As with the individual, so with the church. The more corrupt the church, the greater the confidence she has in her own excellence and exalted position. The womans glorification of herself is very expressive of this. She saith this in her heart. Not outward but inward boasting. There is a pride that apes humility in churches as in men. A church proclaims herself the servant of servants, while she aspires after universal dominion, and washes the feet of mock saints, while she invokes foul curses on the heads of honest dissenters. Site may tenderly care for the souls of heretics, while she tortures and burns their bodies. But saying in her heart means more than secret thought. The will is in the mind what the heart is in the body. It is the fountain of its life. What is said and done there flows as a living stream through the whole system. When self-love is a queen, it is there she sits enthroned, issuing her mandates, and malting her sovereign power to be felt to the most distant parts of her kingdom. Her very posture expresses a state and a sense of easy security. She sits as a queen. And while she claims to be a queen, she declares herself to be no widow, and to be above the reach of sorrow. True, she is no widow. Neither is she a wife. Yet she was once a wife; or if not a wife, an espoused virgin, a bride. She was once the bride of the Lord Jesus. And she still claims to be His spouse; for she asserts that she is no widow.

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8. Because the church flatters herself that she sits as a queen, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord god who judgeth her. The one day is the day of judgment. Yet not so much a time state of judgment, as we have already remarked (ver. 5). The certainty and completeness of her overthrow are assured; for strong is the Lord God that judgeth her. The plagues which come as the result of judgment are not Divinely-inflicted punishments, but the manifested effects of inward states. These, as here declared, are death, mourning, and famine. Death, the opposite of life, is spiritually the extinction of all that constitutes life. Love is life. Love to the Lord and to each other constitutes spiritual slid eternal life. The extinction of these loves is spiritual and eternal death. Death is not, however, a negative state only. The extinction of love to God and the neighbor is due to the active existence of the loves of self and of the world. These are the positive elements of, and their predominance constitutes, the state called death. This state is common to both worlds, but in the other world it appears as it really is. In this world we see rather the shadow of death than death himself. Seldom do we behold that king of terrors face to face. He is so clothed with education, so agreeable with manners, so concealed by prudential motives, that it is only on rare occasions we are startled and horrified by a transient vision of his distorted form and hideous features. In the other world these outward coverings fall off, and the evil thing stands forth in awful distinctness and appalling ghastliness. With death come mourning and famine.

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9, 10. So far this chapter relates to those who are opposed to Babylon; what now immediately follows refers to those who sympathize with her, These consist of three classes--kings, merchants, and ship masters. What these are in their religious meaning we have now to consider. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication, and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas! that great city Babylon, that mighty city! For in one hour is thy judgment come. These kings, unlike those represented by the ten horns, do not hate the woman, but love her, they do not blame the woman, but bewail her.

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The willful perversion of Divine truth in this world is followed by terrible effects in the other life.

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The smoke of burning is the false principle that arises from the fire of self-love. Evil love in the heart generates false ideas in the understanding; and these make love intellectually visible, as thought reveals affection. Yet false thoughts do not reveal to the evil the nature of their own affections, nor excite sorrow on account of them.

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Considered in its more general apprehension, the kings of the earth are not the ruling principles but the ruling persons in the church, who enter more deeply into her doctrines, her purposes, and her plans. These sin more deeply with her. And having participated more in her pleasures, they will be more in fear of her torment, and lament more feelingly with the great and mighty city, when the hour of her judgment comes.

11-14. Another class of those who sympathize with Babylon are the merchants. This class consists of two distinct divisions. Merchants are mentioned again at verse 15, who are other than the merchants mentioned here. So that altogether we have men of four different characters who lament over the fall of Babylon. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more. The merchants of the earth are those who buy and sell the things required for the uses of the natural life; and the merchants of the church are those who procure and dispense the things required for the support of the spiritual life. The kingdom of heaven is compared to "a merchant man" (Matt. xiii. 45); but the unheavenly-minded merchants are those who seek their own honor and gain by trafficking in holy things. All that maintains the spiritual life is comprehended in the two universal principles of goodness and truth; but these include an endless variety of particulars. Many of them are enumerated under the figure of natural things; as, the merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, and cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves (bodies), and souls of men. And the fruits that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee, and all things which were dainty and goodly are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more at all. This long list of the goods that formed the trade and wealth of Babylon may seem to be introduced to give an ideal picture of the immense and multifarious traffic of the "great city." But as all natural objects and productions are symbols of spiritual things, each, of them has a meaning, and all are arranged according to spiritual affinities. What thus seems at first sight a heaping up of precious and common things that constitute the wealth and riches of Babylon, a closer attention will show to contain distinctions and classifications of a very interesting and instructive character. It has often been remarked that the imagery of the Apocalypse is taken for the most part from the Jewish church.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 324

First (ver. 12), we have gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, and thyine wood, answering to shittim wood, that entered into the structure and adornment of the sacred edifice, and the gold and precious stones that formed Aarons breastplate; then we have the fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, that formed its curtains and coverings, and the garments of the high priest; and lastly, we have all manner of vessels of ivory, and of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, answering to the sacred vessels of the holy house. When the church is compared to a woman, the fine linen and purple are, as in the case of the high priest, considered to be her garments, and the gold and precious stones her ornaments. The woman, as seen on the scarlet beast, was arrayed in purple and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls; and in this chapter site is lamented as that great city that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls.

Secondly (ver. 13), we have the cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, answering to the spices that were used for the holy oil for the lamps, and for incense; then we have the wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, that answer to the drink and meat offerings of the tabernacle; and then we have the beasts and sheep, that answer to its sacrifices and burnt offerings. We pass over for the present the horses, and chariots, and slaves, and souls of men.

Thirdly (ver. 14), we have the fruits, and dainty and goodly things, answering to the fruits and other produce of the field that were dedicated and sanctified to the Lord--a tenth of which was devoted to His service, for sustaining the priesthood, the rest, as the fruit and reward of their labors, serving for domestic and social uses, and festive enjoyments.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 325

These are not accidental resemblances, but are real analogies, and answer to the principal elements of religion, arranged according to their relations and affinities. The first relates to doctrine; the second to worship, and the third to their effects in the uses and enjoyments of life. Under this classification we will consider them.

12. The things mentioned in this verse have relation to doctrine. These things enumerated are of three kindsmerchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls; and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet; and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble. While consisting of three series, each series consists of pairs. These are gold and silver, precious stones and pearls; fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet; thyine wood and vessels of ivory, vessels of precious wood and of brass, and iron and marble. They consist of three series, because there are three degrees in all things; and they are arranged in pairs, because all things have relation to goodness and truth. All these are symbolical of principles of goodness and truth of different kinds and degrees, from the highest good which is love to the Lord, symbolized by gold, to the lowest truth, which is that of the senses, symbolized by marble. And they are arranged in pairs, because all doctrine has relation to goodness and truth, as all the law and the prophets hang upon love to the Lord and charity to the neighbor. The thyine wood and the marble, which we have connected as a pair, are not indeed found together in the text. The reason is this,--the thyine wood is mentioned as the first, and the marble as the last of the things that belong to the natural series, or the principles that belong to the natural mind. The highest good of the natural mind is the good of obedience, and its lowest truth is that which is adapted to the senses. All higher good closes in and rests upon the good of obedience, and all higher truth closes in and rests upon the truth of appearance, or apparent truth.

13. The things enumerated in this verse have relation to worship, and these also are of three hinds, and are arranged in pairs. There are cinnamon and odors, ointment and frankincense; wine and oil, fine flour and wheat; beasts and sheep, horses and chariots, bodies and souls of men. These pairs have relation to what is good and true, of the three degrees, celestial, spiritual, and natural. Thus cinnamon signifies worship from love, and incense or perfume is worship from wisdom; for love is made fragrant and grateful by means of wisdom.

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14. The third class of things that constituted the wealth of Babylon, have relation to the delights and satisfactions of mind which are the fruits of doctrine and worship, and which the soul desires as the result of its religious convictions and duties. These are meant by the fruits that thy soul lusted after, and the things that were dainty and goodly. All those precious things signify the precious things of the Word, possessed as knowledge and traded in for gain, but of which their owners are deprived in the other life.

When doctrine is true and worship is sincere, joy of heart and satisfaction of mind are the fruits. But when self-intelligence underlies doctrine, and self-love underlies worship, joy is turned into sorrow, and satisfaction of mind into corroding anxiety and discontent. The delights of corrupt religion arise from the influence they give over the minds of men, and the dignity and opulence that this secures. And when in the other life all this is ended, what remains but the wretchedness of spiritual contempt and degradation? The delight of their life is gone, and undelight turns existence into a living death.

15-19. Babylon herself being destroyed, and all her riches and glory laid in the dust, and consumed in the fire of her own self-love, the merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing, and saying, Alas, alas! that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls! For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every ship master, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, and cried, when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying, What city is like unto this great city!

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20. But although the end which the judgment brings is a cause of lamentation to the evil and the false, it is a matter of rejoicing to the good and the true. Therefore it is said, Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath avenged you on her. Heaven and holy men do not rejoice over the condemnation of wicked persons, but they rejoice over the condemnation of wicked principles, and in the triumph of righteousness and truth. Indeed, this rejoicing is the rejoicing of heavenly and holy and right principles themselves. When evil and error prevail, heavenly influences are shut out, and the lessons of righteousness and truth, which the apostles and prophets teach, are secretly or openly contemned.

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21. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. The mighty angel is an emblem of the Divine power, especially of that power as exercised through heaven. The act itself is emblematical not only of the Divine power which was to cast down Babylon, but of the power of Babylon which was to be cast down. The millstone, one of the first and commonest signs of civilized life, is symbolical of one of the first and commonest signs of spiritual life. Corn, when produced, must be ground to fit it for its proper use. So must the com of heaven, as given in the Word, be comminuted by refection to fit it for the proper uses of spiritual life. Investigation and reflection are a kind of tribulation, for it consists in analyzing, or resolving a compound into its constituent elements, or in reducing a whole into its particular parts. Investigation and reflection on the teaching of the Word may of course have for their end either the elucidation of truth or the confirmation of error. The confirmation of error, as the means of advancing selfish ends, is that which is meant by the stone cast by the angel into the sea. For this stone is not said to be, but to be like, a millstone. The faculty of confirming error is not true reason, but is only like it. Clever but unscrupulous persons who have cultivated, not the faculty of reason, but the power of reasoning, can confirm either side of a question, and it is indifferent to them which side they take, and they espouse that which suits their interest. The power of confirming error is the great stone like a millstone which was cast down, as an emblem of the destruction of Babylon. The power of the corrupt church is broken when its false reasonings and conclusions are exposed. This is not done by human argument, but by enlightened reason,--by light let in from heaven, after judgment has dispersed the dark clouds that obstructed the inflowing light and heat of the Sun of righteousness. The violence with which Babylon was to be cast down is expressive of the irresistible power with which the religious principle she represented was to be removed from the place it had usurped in the Christian church. For has not the religious despotism of Popish authority and infallibility hung like a millstone about the neck of the church, dragging her down into the lowest depths of spiritual degradation?

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 329

22, 23. The power of an ecclesiasticism may be broken, and yet its form and its name may remain. So it may be with the modern Babylon. There may be outward pomp and pretension while there is inward desolation. How strikingly is this represented in the present instance! And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in thee; and no craftsman, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee; and the sound of a millstone shall be heard no more at all in thee; and the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived. The images here presented are very expressive and easily understood. It is easy to see that the desolation of Babylon will be such, that there will be no more the delight arising from the harmony of the affections for goodness and truth, meant by the musicians; there will be no more the intelligence and wisdom, meant by the artificer; no more the earnest inquiry after and investigation of goodness and truth, meant by the sound of the millstone; no more enlightenment and discernment of truth, meant by the light of a candle; and as a consequence of the absence of all these, no longer any conjunction of goodness and truth, which constitutes the heavenly marriage and gives heavenly felicity, meant by the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride. Where these are heard no more at all, there is indeed desolation and woe. And what is the cause of this ruin? The merchants of Babylon were the great men of the earth, and by her sorceries were all nations deceived. Her priests desired to be princes, and strove to acquire ecclesiastical instead of spiritual wealth and power, the power of authority to bring men forcibly under the dominion of the church, instead of the power of persuasion, to bring them freely under the government of the Lord. To effect their purpose they used sorcery, poisoning the minds of the people by their pernicious principles and practices, all tending to suppress free thought and paralyze the faculties, by penalties which the church assumed the power to inflict in time and in eternity.

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24. And in her was found the blood of prophets, and of saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth. Prophets and saints, abstractly considered, are the truths and goods of the Word, whose blood is their destruction by being falsified and profaned; and, as the earth is a symbol of the church, all that were slain in the church are the principles of the church destroyed. When the principles of the Word are deprived of their heavenly life, the church must perish. It is maintained, it is true, both by the Church of Rome and some of the Protestant branches, that the church is not to be judged by the Word, but the Word by the church. But this assumption is the offspring of that priestly authority which has brought the church to its night and consummation.

CHAPTER XIX.

WE have now seen disclosed the nature and results of the two great evils that arose successively in the Christian church, and that gradually, and at last entirely, subverted her principles. One of these evils was self-love, the other was the love of the world. The first subverted the principle of her love to the Lord, the second subverted the principle of her love to the neighbor. These are meant by the great whore, and by the great red dragon. They are not described in the Revelation in the order in which they arose in the natural world, but in the order in which they were disclosed in the spiritual world. For this reason Babylon, which represents the first great corruption of the Churchs principles, appears after the dragon, which represents the second. Although the two evils represented by these signs and symbols have been exhibited by the two great sections of the Christian church, yet they belong exclusively to no particular religious communion. Every church that has hitherto existed in the world has fallen under their dominion. They are evils inherent in our fallen humanity. As a tendency to these evils is inherent in our nature, all have a personal interest in the subject, since all are liable to fall into the same states, and practically adopt the same principles.

1, 2. The vision now further unfolds itself, and presents a new scene. And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are His judgments; for He hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of His servants at her hand.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 332

3. When the heavenly multitude had uttered their praise to God, as the Author of salvation and the righteous Judge, again they said, Alleluia. There are two affections from which praise to God proceeds--love to the Lord and love to the neighbor. These are the beginning and the end of all true worship, whether of prayer or thanksgiving. They constitute the sum of religion.

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But the judgment which delivered the righteous from the influence which had been exercised over them, deprived the evil of the truth they had perverted and the good they had profaned, and left them a prey to their own inherent evil and the falsity which belonged to it. Their state is, therefore, now described. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. Evil, when stript of its disguises, by being deprived of the truths which it had falsified, can utter nothing but what is false; for evil love produces false thoughts as naturally and spontaneously as fire produces smoke, and in the Word are meant by them. And what thus springs from the affections of the heart into the thoughts of the understanding, ascends for over and ever. It not only continues without end; it enters into all the thoughts, words, and acts, making them the form and image of itself.

4. The glorification of the Lord by the multitude in heaven, is now answered responsively by the elders and the four beasts. And the four and twenty elders, and the four beasts, fell down and worshiped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen; Alleluia. The responsive Amen and Alleluia of these higher powers, is the confirmation of the truths, which the lower heavens uttered, by those of the higher, and even by the Word itself, which is above as well as in heaven, which the four beasts, in the highest sense, represent. In the particular sense, in which all truth refers to individual experience, the response of the higher angels to the Alleluias of the lower, is expressive of the harmony and unity that exist between the lower and higher affections and perceptions of the mind, in those who are in heavenly states, as well as by those who are in heavenly places. True worship proceeds from, and is the outward expression of, inward affection. But true worship has also the effect of strengthening the affection from which it springs. If there is no outward act, there can be no inward response. If the devout feeling fails to put itself forth in acts of outward worship, it languishes, and even closes the mind against the influence or inflowing of the Spirit of love and truth from the Lord.

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5. And a voice came out from the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye His servants, and ye that fear Him, both small and great. This voice from the throne, in answer to the praise of those beneath and around it, was from the Lord Himself. The Lord does not speak, even to those in the highest heaven, by an audible voice: He speaks into the heart and mind by the inflowing of His Divine Truth, which is the Holy Spirit. This is the Divine answer to all true worship, whether of praise or prayer. In relation to the present subject, the call to all that serve and fear God to praise Him, is an exhortation to all in heaven as well as to the faithful upon earth, to praise God for having removed out of the way that which had corrupted the church by falsifying and profaning the truths of the Word.

6. The voice from the throne, calling upon all the servants of God to praise Him, is answered by a glorification, both the agents and the subject of which are of deep interest. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunderings, saying, Alleluia: for the Lord God Omnipotent reigneth. Considered in connection and series, the first Alleluia was raised by those in the lower heavens, meant by the much people in heaven; the second was raised by the highest, meant by the elders; and this is raised by the whole heaven, meant by the great multitude, the sound of many waters, and the voice of mighty thunderings. Thus the universal heaven, from the affection of truth, meant by many waters, and from the affection of goodness, meant by the voice of mighty thunderings, rejoice that the Lord God Omnipotent reigns. The Lord reigns in the church and in the hearts of men when they acknowledge and come under the government of His Love, Wisdom, and Power, these being meant by Lord, God, Omnipotent. Worldly love, wisdom, and power had usurped their authority in and among men. Their reign is now ended, and the Divine government and kingdom are restored.

7. The multitude celebrate another event that follows the commencement of the Lords reign. Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to Him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His wife hath made herself ready. The Lamb is the Lord Jesus Christ; His wife is the church. The marriage of the Lord and the church had taken place long before the period to which this prophetic vision relates, and even before John heard the rejoicing at their nuptials.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 336

As there can only be a full marriage of the Lord with the church which acknowledges, not the Lords Divinity only, but the Divinity of His Humanity, it may, in a certain sense, be said that a full marriage of the Lord and the church has never taken place till now. All churches that existed before the Lords Coming into the world were representative churches, and saw truth in the shade. They had only communion and conjunction with the Lord through heaven, which is mediate or indirect. Therefore the Lord always appeared to the patriarchs and others in the person of an angel. But when the Lord came into the world by birth of a human mother--when "He took not on Him the nature of angels, but took on Him the seed of Abraham," His presence and communion with men was immediate or direct. Men saw God face to face, for they who saw Him saw the Father; and their life was preserved. And when the Lord had glorified His Humanity, and made it Divine, although it ceased to be seen of men by the natural eye, it is even more intimately present with them than when they literally saw and handled of the Word of life. As, since the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, there is immediate communion with the Lord, so can there be immediate conjunction with Him. There can, therefore, since the Incarnation, be an actual and full marriage of the Lord with the church. But it was provided that the Christian church should go on unto perfection, not only by imperceptible degrees, but by distinctly-marked stages. The first of these commenced at the Lords Coming in the flesh; the second commenced at His Coming in the Spirit. His Coming in the Spirit, which is His Second Coming, is commonly understood to be the end of the world; but we have already seen, and it will still further appear, that the Lords Second Advent is indeed to end the first Christian dispensation, but it is also to commence the second. Great as were the blessings conferred upon the human race by the Lords First Coming, still greater blessings are conferred upon them by His Second Coming.

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8. When the multitude rejoiced that the marriage was come, and the Lambs wife had made herself ready, it is said, And to her was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. The truths in which those who are to be of the New Church are initiated and instructed, are the fine linen in which the Lambs wife was arrayed. But the church, we must observe, is not arrayed in fine linen simply by acquiring a knowledge of the truth, but by bringing the truth into practice in a holy life: for the fine linen is the righteousness of saints. Saints are those who lead holy lives, and keep their garments unspotted from the world. Therefore it was granted to the Lambs wife that she should be arrayed, not simply in fine linen, but in fine linen, clean and white. Clean and white as the truths of the Word are in themselves, they are not clean in us until they have cleansed us from sin, nor white until they have freed us from error. When purified from these, righteousness and truth form the saintly garments of the true members of the Lords true church.

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9. All things being now ready, a most important announcement is made by the angel to John. And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they which are called unto the marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the true sayings of God. The marriage of the Lamb, in the fullness and perfection of the Lords conjunction with the church which acknowledges Him in His true character, and regards Him as the only object of her faith, her love, and her worship, is an event of transcendent glory; and happy indeed are those who are called to the marriage supper. But does this mean that the call is limited? The call is as limitless as the Lords love, as free as His grace. The invitation to the marriage, like the offer of the water of life, is no doubt addressed to all: "Whosoever will, let him come." But in Scripture those who are called do not always mean all indiscriminately who are invited, but those who are disposed to accept the invitation. It is said of those who are with the Lord that they "are called, and chosen, and faithful" (xvii. 14); where the "called" form one of three classes who are on the Lords side in the spiritual warfare. It is a blessed thing to know and believe, contrary to the narrow faith in partial election, that all are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb, and that all may freely come; but it is a positive blessing to those who are in that state which enables them to hear the call, not only with the outward ear of sense, but with the inward ear of willing obedience.

The marriage feast is called a supper because the time of supper is the end of the old church; and the marriage which then takes place is the commencement of the new. When one dispensation ends, another begins. There is no hiatus between them. On the same night and on the same occasion, the Lord with His disciples kept the last Passover of the Jewish church and the first Holy Supper of the Christian church. The one passed, as it were, into the other. So with the dispensations themselves: all that is preserved of the old passes into the new, and there acquires new light and life. The marriage supper of the Lamb is not only the celebration of the Lords union with His New Church, but the provision which He has made for sustaining the spiritual life of those who are called. This provision is more rich and abundant than that which could be made for any former dispensation of the church, because the human mind is now prepared to receive more and higher truth, and in and through it more perfect goodness, than at any former period of its development.

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10. So overcome was the seer with the grandeur of the message, and with the glory of the angelic messenger who delivered it, that he offered him Divine worship. And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See thou do it not: I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. It is not surprising that the celestial being who commanded John to write, declaring the blessedness of being called to the marriage supper of the Lamb, should have called forth in the seer something more than the homage due to a finite being, however exalted. This angel, too, is described as having great power; and when he came down from heaven the earth was lighted with his glory. Yet John had seen many angels, some not less glorious than the one who now stood before him, and had been addressed by several under circumstances seemingly as impressive as those connected with the presence of this heavenly messenger. The occasion was no doubt a providential opportunity of teaching a great lesson, and one which had especial reference to one of the events with which it was connected. The angel who commissioned John to write the present message was he who had cried with a mighty voice, saying, "Babylon the great is fallen;" and the fall itself is described in the previous chapter, Johns prostration before the angel may be considered as representing the tendency to creature-worship which is inherent in all minds, but which has manifested itself in that condition of the church represented by Babylon more than in any other. This natural tendency was the origin of the apotheosis and worship of departed heroes by the ancient heathens, and led to the more than human honors which the Christian church came to render to those whom she had enrolled in the calendar of her saints.

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11. Another appearance is now presented, which claims our particular attention, for it relates to the leading subject of the prophecy. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and make war. He who had just been spoken of as the Lamb, whose marriage was come, and whose wife had made herself ready, now appears as a man of war, with blood-stained garment, followed by the armies of heaven.

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The New Jerusalem has not yet descended from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Between the marriage of the Lord with the church in the spiritual world, and His marriage with the church in the natural world, some important works must be effected. The power which was ready to devour the man-child, which sent water as a flood after the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, must be overcome. It is with this power, which strives to obstruct the progress of the Lords work, by preventing, if possible, the establishment of the church on earth, as the orderly sequence of its formation in heaven, that the Rider on the white horse is to make war. And as the Lamb is transformed into the Man of war, so is the Lambs wife transformed into the army that follows Him, and which, under Him, is to be instrumental in overcoming the opposers of His beneficent work.

All this is connected with one great event, the Lords Second Advent, which is described by His Coming on the white horse. There is a great difference between this representation of the Lords Second Advent and the description of it in the Gospel, where it is said He is to appear in the clouds of heaven. Both the description and the representation are to be spiritually understood; and the difference between them will be found to be no discrepancy, but will be seen to express a significant distinction.

The clouds, from their rapid motion, are often in Scripture compared with the chariot and the horse. The Lord is spoken of as the Being "who maketh the clouds His chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind" (Ps. civ. 3); and it is said of Him that He "rideth upon a swift cloud" (Isa. xix. 1). In the same way the Lord is spoken of as riding on His horses and chariots of salvation (Hab. iii. 8).

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 343

But, although parts of Revelation may have apparently to adapt themselves to new science, it does not follow that Revelation is a debtor to science. Natural knowledge precedes religious truth, according to the law, "That was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural, and afterward that which is spiritual."

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 345

12, 13. It is further said of Him who sat on the white horse, that His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns; and He had a name written, that no man knew, but He Himself. And He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and His name is called The Word of God.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 347

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 348

14. And the armies which were in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. As the Lord Himself, immediately after being spoken of as a Lamb, whose marriage was come, is represented as a man of war, with blood-stained garments, so those who collectively form His church, which is called His wife, are represented as the armies in heaven, following Him upon white horses. These armies do not here mean the entire angelic heaven, but the New Christian Heaven, or the New Church in heaven, as conjoined to the Lord in the interior understanding of the Word, and in its pure and genuine truths, He whom they follow being the Word of God. Their understanding of the Word are the horses on which they ride; and the pure and genuine truths of the Word are the fine linen, white and clean, with which they are clothed. The identity of these armies of heaven with the wife of the Lamb is indicated by their being, like her, arrayed in fine linen, white and clean.

Heaven is described and represented under characters and forms according to its different functions and uses.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 349

As the Rider on the white horse is called The Word of God, the armies of heaven, abstractly considered, represent the truths of the Word. These are the real instruments of the Lords power. Indeed, it is evident that those who are spoken of as the agents of judgment are not to be understood as personally judging. When the Lord told the twelve apostles, that in His kingdom they should sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel, He spoke to them, and respecting them, in their representative character, as the truths by which judgment is effected. The armies that followed Him whose name is The Word of God, are therefore all the heavenly truths of the Word, which follow and maintain the cause of the Lord and His Word, which is the cause of truth and righteousness. These armies of heaven represent the truths of the Word as they are perceived in with which they are clothed, are those truths as outwardly manifested in their bright intelligence and spotless righteousness. They, too rode upon horses; representatively teaching, that the spiritual truth of the Word will be received intellectually by those who form the New Church, which the Lord now comes to establish.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 350

15, 16. As the leader of His armies, the Lord, as the Word, is characteristically described as going forth conquering and to conquer. 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 God. And He hath on His vesture and on His thigh a name written, King of kings, and Lord of lords. We have already seen (i. 6), what is almost self-evident, that the sword that went out of the Lords mouth is the Divine Truth that proceeds from Him, and which acts as a sword, when it comes into conflict with error, and as a rod of iron, when it comes into conflict with evil, which are meant by the nations that are ruled with it. His treading the wine-press is the judgment itself. But here the image is presented of the trampling of enemies under the feet of the conqueror. Yet these things, which are too real among sinful men, are only appearances with the righteous God. His judgments are felt by his enemies as if they were vindictive, although in themselves they are full of mercy. That mercy is directed by wisdom, but is never influenced by wrath, because there is no wrath in the Lord. This is expressed symbolically in the name written on His vesture and on His thigh. For even in the literal sense of the Word, which is meant by His vesture, but especially in its spiritual sense, which is meant by His thigh, His Divine character is shown to be pure Wisdom and Love. As Divine Wisdom He is King; as Divine Love He is Lord. But He is both King of kings and Lord of lords. For He is the Supreme Truth and the Supreme Love, the Author of all truth and love in and among angels and men. And He who is the Fountain of love and wisdom to angels and men, is the One Great Being who made and rules all things.

17, 18. After this John says, 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 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. Again, we have the image of war, the fowls after the slaughter, feeding on the carcasses of the slain. Yet there is something in this that suggests a deeper meaning. Not merely the birds of prey, but all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, are called to the supper of the great God.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 351

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 352

19-21. The opposing army is now described. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him that sat on the horse, and against His army. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshiped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with 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. In the sixteenth chapter we read of three unclean spirits like frogs, that came out of the mouth of the dragon and of his beasts, going forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to get them into a place called Armageddon, to the battle of the great day of God Almighty. This is that conflict. Here the hostile armies are gathered together. It is the last effort of error and evil against the power of goodness and truth, and therefore against the Word which teaches them. The three unclean spirits like frogs the directly and violently opposed to the three pure Spirits of the Word, the Spirit of love, the Spirit of truth, and the Spirit of righteousness. And those who maintain and defend those errors against those truths, when the truth is manifested, as it is in the person of Him who sat on the white horse, are the enemies who fight against the Word of God. This last conflict, however, is rather that of evil with the good of the Word than of falsity with its truth. The opposing armies are formed of those who have lived, as well as believed, in the dogma of faith alone; and who, trusting to the imputation of the Lords righteousness, have neglected to acquire righteousness from Him by doing His will.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 353

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 354

CHAPTER XX.

THE early and greater part of this chapter treats of what is called the millennium. It may, therefore, be useful to offer a few preliminary remarks on that subject.

Founded upon its merely literal sense, an opinion has been introduced by some, almost from the commencement of the church, that the Lord, at His Second Coming, is to reign personally on the earth for a thousand years. His Advent is to be followed by the resurrection of the righteous; and these risen saints, with those who are alive, ale to form the subjects of His millennial kingdom. During the time of this reign Satan, who, like the beast and the false prophet, had been taken, is to remain bound, and shut up in the bottomless pie, so that he shall deceive the nations no more till the thousand years are past. After a thousand years of peace and happiness, Satan, loosed from his prison, is to go out and deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth; and these, in number its the sand of the sea, are to come up on the breadth of the earth, and compass the camp of the saints and the beloved city, when fire is to come down from heaven and devour them. The Devil that deceived them is then to be cast into the lake of fire, where are the beast and the false prophet. The second resurrection and the judgment are then to take place; and the whole drama is to be concluded with the end of the world.

It would be easy to show that this notion is inconsistent with even the most literal interpretation of the prophecy. In the first place, it is only those who have been beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the Word of God, and who have not received the mark of the beast, that are to be the subjects of the first resurrection. This description can hardly be supposed to include the whole of the righteous who have lived since the beginning of the world. In the second place, although the first resurrection is mentioned, there is nothing said of a second, unless it be assumed that the second resurrection is meant by the sea giving up its dead, and death and hell delivering up the dead which were in them. But this does not answer to a resurrection of all the wicked of the whole earth from their graves. And what are we to make of the hordes that Satan is to gather together and lead against the saints? For Satan, loosed, goes out to deceive the "nations" which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle. The theory of a personal reign of Christ upon the earth, with the risen saints for His subjects, is founded on a literal apprehension of a prophecy that was never intended to be literally understood, and which is impossible to be literally fulfilled.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 355

We have already had occasion to state that the scene of these transactions is in the spiritual world. The relation itself is evidence of this. It is the souls of those mho have been beheaded for the witness of Jesus that are to reign with Christ. They had indeed obtained the resurrection; but this, rightly understood, is an additional evidence of the truth of what we have now remarked. For, as we shall have the opportunity to show, the Scripture resurrection is not the rising of the natural body, which, once laid aside, is never resumed. We now proceed to consider the contents of the chapter.

1-3. In the previous chapter we read that the beast and the false prophet were taken, and were cast into the burning lake, and that the remnant of the army they had gathered to fight against Him that sat upon the white throne and against His army mere slain. But the dragon himself, in whose cause the beast and his army fought, is still at large; and of his captivity this part of the vision treats. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. It is one of the characteristics of the Lord that He has the keys of hell and of death (i. 18). Although the bottomless pit is different from the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, yet both are parts of the kingdom of darkness, which is subject to the power of the Universal Ruler. This angel must therefore represent the Lord. The key and the chain are only the symbols of His power, as it acts upon the ungodly. The Divine power is ever the same; its different aspects arise from the difference of those on whom it operates. The Lord draws the righteous with bands of love (Hosea xi. 4); He binds the wicked with chains of truth. Yet He does not love one and hate the other. He draws the righteous because they receive His love; He binds the wicked because they disobey His truth. The truth which is known, but is unloved and unpracticed, becomes a chain that binds the soul in fetters of iron to the kingdom of darkness. Yet, strictly speaking, it is not the truth that binds the evil as captives to their dark abodes; it is the truth perverted: for evil turns truth into falsity, or light into darkness; and if the light that is in men be darkness, how great is that darkness! The light of truth quenched by falsehood is the darkness that reigns in hell. It is not the darkness of ignorance. This brings no condemnation or captivity. Those only who, while knowing the truth, willfully live an evil life, are condemned by it.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 356

4. The scene of this transaction is that region of the spiritual world which is between heaven and hell, which we have spoken of as the intermediate state. Here all souls enter at death, where those who have not passed into their final state are reserved unto the judgment of the great day, and where the judgment itself takes place. The time to which the prophecy now relates is the eve of judgment. The great white throne is to be set, and the dead, small and great, are to stand before the Judge that sits upon it. Events of the nature of judgments have, indeed, been going forward; but these are the searchings and separations that precede the final judgment. The binding and isolation of the old serpent is one of these. It is a separation of the evil from the good, in order that both may be prepared for the coming judgment--the evil that they may be deprived of their assumed good, and prepared for hell; the good that they may be delivered from their involuntary evil, and prepared for heaven. The bottomless pit, which is now opened for the reception of the old dragon, was opened, as we read in the ninth chapter, by the angel who sounded the fifth trumpet. But then it was opened to let the army of locusts come out; now it is opened to cast the dragon in. The immediate purpose to be answered by the removal of the serpent is, that the saints may be allowed to reign with the Lord in peace. Of these we have read in the sixth chapter. It is there recorded that when the fifth seal was opened, John saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God and for the testimony which they held. And when they cried for deliverance, it was said unto them that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled. The time for their deliverance has now come, and they are to be brought up out of their prison and set upon thrones.

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5, 6. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first 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 shall reign with Him a thousand years. The first resurrection, over the subjects of which the second death hath no power, is, spiritually, resurrection from the death of sin unto the life of righteousness. Death has no more dominion over them. They are freed from sin, and therefore from that death which is the consequence of sin. The rest of the dead are not the unrighteous, who are liable to the second death, but those who have not passed through the same tribulation, and do not therefore enjoy the same triumph. Those who obtain the first resurrection--not first in the order of time, but first in rank and excellence--are the celestial, who are principled in love to the Lord, and are therefore called priests of God and of Christ; the rest are the spiritual, who are principled in love to the neighbor.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 358

7-10. But when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. The binding and loosing of Satan are not to be regarded as Divine acts, which are determined only by the will of God, but as parts of the general operation of His providence, as it acts in furtherance of His benevolent work of salvation. Judgment is one of these acts, and evil spirits have a part to play in the great drama. They are but too willing agents in inciting and tempting the righteous; and their power is ruled, and their purposes are over-ruled, for some good to the righteous, and as far as possible to themselves. Their evil use is to do that work which the Lord declared Satan desired to do to Peter, when He said, "Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" (Luke xxii. 31). It is to sift the righteous, and remove the chaff from their wheat, that Satan is permitted to exert his influence with them. When his influence is inconsistent with this evil use, it is providentially prevented or moderated. It is solely in compliance with this law that the binding and loosing of Satan are here mentioned as having taken place. But evil spirits not only sift the righteous, hut they devastate the wicked; and this they do by inciting them to evil, so that they throw off disguises, and manifest their true character. This is the evil use which Satan is now permitted to do. Loosed from his prison, he now goeth out to deceive the nations, and incite them to make war against the saints. The symbolic, character of this part of the Apocalypse, and even its meaning, may be learnt from a similar prediction in Ezekiel, which must be understood as having received its fulfillment at the time of the Lords First Advent. In chapters thirty-eight and thirty-nine we find a prophecy against Gog and Magog. While the Lords people Israel dwell in safety, Gog comes from his place out of the north parts, with a mighty army, which covers the land as a cloud. The end of this mighty and terrible host is the same as that of the Apocalyptic army. The Lord rains upon it an overflowing rain, and great hailstones, and fire, and brimstone. This is a prophecy of what "shall be in the latter days." These were the latter days of the Jewish church, as those of the Revelation are the latter days of the Christian church.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 360

11. But we come now to the judgment itself, which is deeply impressive and instructive, in both its general and its individual aspect. And I saw a great white throne, and Him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. In the fourth chapter John saw a throne set in heaven, and Him that sat on it. In treating of that part of the vision, we stated that the throne there set was an emblem of judgment; but that it there represented judgment in its beginning, while the great white throne which the Seer now beheld represented judgment in its completion. All the intervening words have been the searchings, unfoldings, and separations which are the means of reducing all to that singleness of state, of either good or evil, which brings them to a state of final judgment. Separation, which precedes judgment, is described in the Gospel by the separation of the tares and the wheat, of the faithful and the unfaithful servants, of the wise and the foolish virgins, of the sheep and the goats. The subject which now comes before us is not the separation of the good and the evil, but their removal from the middle state to their final abode; the good to heaven, answering to the state which has been perfected in them, the evil to the opposite place, which is but the outward condition, answering to their inward state. The Judge and the judgment are sufficient at present to engage our attention. The throne is the emblem of judgment.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 361

12. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. Before we consider the judgment, let us regard the Judge. God is the Judge. But "we must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ" (2 Cor. v. 10). Therefore God and Christ are one. In another statement by the same apostle, the two names are used indifferently. "We shall all stand before the judgment-seat of CHRIST. For it is written, As I live, saith the LORD, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to GOD. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to GOD" (Rom. xiv. 10-12). God alone can judge men; for He alone knows the secrets of the heart; and it is because Jesus Christ is God, and needeth not that any should testify of man, for He knows what is in man (John ii. 25), that He can judge the world. Before Him therefore stand the dead, small and great. The dead, now assembled before the throne of judgment, are those who had passed through natural death, and were now in the middle state, where all judgment takes place. They do not include all who had ever lived in the world, nor even all who had lived from the beginning of the Christian church. The openly wicked had been cast into the lake, and the confirmed good had been carried to Mount Zion. Those only of a mixed character, and who could therefore live together in outward communion, and remain in the middle state, were subjected to the general judgment. These, small and great, of whatever condition and quality, now stand before God.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 362

But another book was opened, which is the book of life. The books first mentioned are the books of men; this book is the book of God. Men are judged out of those things which are written in their own books; but their judgment is according to the agreement or disagreement of the things written in their own books with the things that are written in the book of God. Those whose books agree with the book of God, or, what is the same, those whose minds agree with the mind of God, are judged to life; but those whose books or minds disagree with the book and mind of God, are judged to death. The book of God, it deserves to be remarked, is called the book of life. It is never called the book of death. Mens books are the books of death when they disagree with Gods book, which is the book of life. The names of men are written in the book of life, when their characters are in agreement with its principles of life, which are love to God and charity to men. "I entreat thee also, true yoke-fellow, help those women which labored with me in the gospel, with Clement also, and with other my fellow-laborers, whose names are in the book of life" (Phil. iv. 3). It is only by being written in this book that we can stand in the judgment. Daniel, speaking of the last times, says, "At that time Thy people shall be delivered, every one that shall be found written in the book " (xii. 1). In one respect all are written in the book of life. All are designed for heaven. All from the moment of their birth are written in the book of life; and all who die in childhood enter into life. Only by living contrary to the law of life are their names blotted out of the book of life.

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If the book of life is regarded as being the revealed Word of God, only those to whom it has been known will be judged by it. Yet we are to reflect, that the laws of God are universal laws. As written in the Word, they are but a clearer revelation of lame which He has, in some way and to some extent, written on the human heart, and which are more or less clearly recognized by every existing religion. "For the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse" (Rom. i. 20). This we know, that God is infinitely wise and good, and that justice and judgment are the habitation of His throne.

13, 14. In conformity with the imagery of the prophecy we find that those who are to be judged come from places where they had lain or been confined. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. It would seem as if those who had previously risen had come out of the earth; and that these sow raised up come from the sea and from hell. The symbolic character of the description may be inferred from this among other particulars. On the principle that places signify states, the places from which the dead come to be judged evidently describe their character. In Scripture the sea is considered as surrounding the land, and those who live on its islands are spoken of as being "far off" upon the sea. The dead whom the sea Save up are those who have been in a state of comparative ignorance and simplicity, people not evil but ignorant, not careless but superficial, Good natural or external men. But those whom death and hell deliver up are the wicked and impious, who are dead in trespasses and sins, and who are in the false persuasion that comes from evil. The word hades, rendered hell, and, in the margin, the grave, does not here properly mean either. It evidently means a state rather than a place, and refers to a particular class of the wicked in the middle state. Death and. hell are therefore the evil and the false, the wicked and the unbelieving. These were judged every one according to their works.

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15. But not only these, but whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. How true and how impressive is this simple statement! God keeps no book of doom. In His volume all are written for life. All whose life is in conformity with its Divine laws are written therein, and enter into life eternal. All who are not written in that book, all whose character is not in harmony with its laws of love and duty, are of necessity cast, or rather cast themselves, into the lake of fire. He who wills not the death of a sinner, but rather that all should turn from their wickedness and live, desires the exclusion of none from the book of life. He who came that men might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly, can desire nothing else than that all should be found written in His book of life, and thus have their names written also in heaven. Nothing but their own evil and unrighteous life can make them subjects of the kingdom of darkness. How solemn and yet; how salutary is the reflection, that even infinite power, acting from infinite love, cannot save the unrighteous! Nor is this the case because, as is assumed, justice compels God to condemn and eternally punish the wicked. It is not Gods justice, but their own injustice, that is the cause of their condemnation. If they could cease to be unjust, they would cease to be unhappy. Divine justice would then no longer be opposed to them, because they would no longer be opposed to it. All its supposed claims against them for their past debts would be canceled in a moment. But these debts, which have cast them into prison, keep them there, because they are written, not in the book of Gods remembrance, but in the book of the memory of their own essential life, the life of their ruling love, and thence of their thought, and of their words and actions.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 365

CHAPTER XXI.

WE now come to the concluding act of the great Apocalyptic drama, to which everything has been tending, in which every mysterious circumstance finds its solution, and which crowns the whole with more than dramatic grandeur and effect.

1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. So numerous are the instances in Scripture of great changes, national and ecclesiastical, being described by changes in the earth and the heavens, and even in some cases by their destruction and re-creation, that no thoughtful reader of the Revelation can entertain a doubt of the figurative or spiritual character of this prophetic declaration. Yet it may be necessary, if not for proof, at least for explanation, to show how clearly the Scriptures themselves point to this conclusion, and how much light they afford to guide us to the true and exact meaning of the sublime imagery of a new heaven and a new earth. The best and most satisfactory way of ascertaining the meaning of a prophecy is to compare it with similar predictions which have received their explanation in their fulfillment.

We need not dwell on the passages which speak of the heavens being shaken, and the earth being moved out of her place (Isa. xiii. 13); of the earth reeling to and fro like a drunkard, and the moon being confounded, and the sun ashamed (xxlv. 20, 23); of the earth being without form and void, and the heavens having no light; of the earth mourning, and the heavens above being black (Jer. iv. 23, 28); of the heaven and earth being shaken when the Lord roars from Zion and utters His voice from Jerusalem (Joel iii. 16); of heaven being rolled together as a scroll, and all their host falling down (Isa. xxxiv. 4). In all these instances heaven and earth have evidently what is called a figurative, or what we call a spiritual meaning, the same meaning they have everywhere in Scripture, and therefore here in the Revelation; but it is not so evident from the context, or from the events to which they relate, what that meaning is.

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With these passages before us, the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, as announced in this part of the Revelation, call consistently be understood to refer only to the establishment of a New Christian church, when that which succeeded the Jewish had fled away from the face of Him that sat on the great white throne. There is commonly something in the form of a prediction, which enables us to ascertain whether, at least, it is to be understood literally or figuratively. Predictions of the end of the world, besides the internal evidence they afford of their spirituality, are always connected with the prediction, either expressed or understood, of another event, which hardly any imagine is to be accomplished literally. When the world is destroyed, it is to be replaced by a new creation. The famous prediction of the end of the world by the Apostle Peter has both those evidences of its figurative character. In his Second Epistle (iii. 10), he tells us that "the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up."

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It is the common belief that there will be an end of the present world; but few ever think of the creation of a new earth; and when they do, they find the new earth to be only an embarrassment. The destruction of the world, according to the common faith, is to end the race of Adam, and complete the family of Christ. The Lords mediatorial reign is then to end. The Son is to give up the kingdom to the Father, that God may be all in all. For what purpose then is this new creation? Some suppose that the new earth is to be the abode of the risen saints; others, willing to take this part of the prophecy spiritually, while they adhere to the literal sense of the other part, think that the new earth means the new earthly bodies of the risen saints! There is another indication that the creation of a new earth, as announced by John, is not to be literally understood. On the new earth there is to be no more sea. An earth without water could not be inhabited by human beings, unless they were entirely different from those who live on the present earth. But if the new earth is to be more perfect than the old, and its inhabitants more happy, the absence of a sea must be understood to be an advantage, as contributing to their convenience and enjoyment.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 368

The new heaven and the new earth are therefore nothing less than a now order or condition of religious life, that is, of spiritual vitality, among men. A generation of men new in principle and new in practice; these are the new heaven and the new earth, and these constitute the New Church. We have had occasion to say, and have endeavored to show that, individually applied, heaven is the inner man, or the spiritual mind, which is an image of heaven, and that the earth is the outer man, or the natural mind, which is an image of the world. When these are created anew, or born from above, this sublime announcement is realized in its most practical sense. For there is nothing in Gods creation more glorious than a re-created or regenerated human soul.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 369

Although the Lords church can have no actual existence among men except so far as it exists in them, we may still regard the New Church, meant by the new heaven and the new earth, in reference to the church as a general dispensation. In the most comprehensive general view, the new heaven is the New Church in heaven, and the new earth is the New Church on earth. The church in heaven, or the new Christian heaven, was formed of all the righteous who had lived during the time of the Christian dispensation, being those who were found written in the Lambs book of life. The New Church on earth will consist of all who live according to the principles of the church as now made known to men; and in its universal form it will include the good in all churches, and in all nations, whatever their creed may be. In a less extensive sense the new heaven and the new earth mean the internal and the external of the church on earth. The internal of the church consists of its principles, and the external of the church consists of its accordant practice. Its internal is love to the Lord, its external is love to the neighbor; for love to the Lord is manifested in love to men. Such love knows nothing of sectarianism. Regarding all from love, the New Church recognizes love in others, when manifested in love to others, as the work of Christian character, and the bond of Christian brotherhood. As men will be judged not by their faith but by their works, so she judges of all. "By their fruits ye shall know them."

2. After John had seen the new heaven and the new earth, he then saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. It is generally acknowledged that the New Jerusalem is a symbol of the church; but it is the general belief that the holy city is a figure not of the church on earth but of the church in heaven. The passing away of heaven and earth being understood to mean the end of the world, after which no other material world is to exist, it was necessary to place the New Jerusalem in heaven. But this is obviously doing violence to the prophecy, which provides a new earth as well as a new heaven; and plainly states that the holy city was seen coming down from God out of the new heaven to the new earth.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 370

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 371

If the affection of love, nod especially of love to the Lord, makes the church His bride, what are the adornings by which she is prepared for her nuptials?

When, after the fall of Babylon, it was announced that the marriage of the Lamb had come, and His wife had made herself ready, it was given her to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white. Here, she is said, not simply to have made herself ready, and to be arrayed, but to be adorned. In the previous instance, the church made herself ready, as we have seen, by those who then formed the church being instructed in the pure and genuine truths of the Word, which were the fine linen, clean and white, in which the Lambs wife was afterwards arrayed. Love is the essential of marriage; but love must be founded upon a knowledge of the person and character of the object loved. This is the knowledge by which the church makes herself ready for her marriage with her Divine Husband. She must know His person as Jehovah-Jesus, the one Lord, whose name is one. She must know His character, as Love itself, and Wisdom itself. Without a knowledge of the Lords person and character, He cannot be the object of true love. This knowledge is one of the distinguishing excellences of the New Church; therefore the Lords bride can be arrayed in the garment of fine linen, clean and white. But besides the raiment of fine linen, which the church first puts on, as the result and outward manifestation of her initiation and instruction in holy truth and saintly righteousness, she now appears adorned as becomes a bride prepared for her husband. The adornings of the church are the graces and virtues which she acquires by cultivating the dispositions and doing the works which the truths of the Word enjoin, as necessary to form the Christian character, and secure conjunction with the Lord. In the 45th Psalm, that magnificent epithalamium, which, spiritually understood, celebrates the marriage of the Lord and His church, the bride, the kings daughter is "all glorious within: her clothing is of wrought gold. She shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle-work." The bridal garment of wrought gold and needle-work is formed of the truths of love and intelligence. Love clothes itself with these, as with a garment, always understanding them to be truths of the heart and life as well as of the mind.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 372

3. When John had seen the church as a city and as a bride, he heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. The tabernacle may be considered an essential part, as being indeed the sacred center, of the holy city, and to have come down with it from God out of heaven. But the tabernacle, which is here singled out as an object of especial attention in the Now Jerusalem, has already been seen as a separate object in heaven; and it is from its having been previously seen in heaven that it is now said to be among men upon earth. In the 15th chapter, John says, "I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened." The opening of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven, before the tabernacle appeared on earth, was part of that providential arrangement by which the new is always commenced before the complete consummation of the old. The opening of the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony was the opening of the spiritual sense of the Word, by which its interior truth was revealed. The Word is revealed interiorly, or as to the spiritual sense, before the church is fully devastated, because the New Church will then be established, into which those of the former church are invited; and for the New Church interior Divine Truths are revealed. These interior truths, which are for the use of the New Church, must be revealed before the end of the old, since it is by moans of them that the new is to have its commencement. The remains of the old must form the beginning of the new.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 373

But the tabernacle, while it represents the Lords own glorious body, represents also His mystical body, the church. And here the tabernacle is to be regarded in relation to the city on the one hand, and in relation to the temple on the other. The holy city, we have seen, means the church in regard to its doctrine, and the tabernacle means the church in regard to its worship; and this is one of the reasons why the tabernacle is mentioned as well as the city. But the worship of the church was represented by the temple as well as by the tabernacle. The difference between the tabernacle and the temple, as representing the worship of the church, is similar to that which they have in relation to the Lord as the object of worship. The tabernacle represents the church in regard to its worship from love, and the temple represents the church in regard to its worship from faith. There can be no true worship, as there can be no true church, without both of these heavenly graces; but the character of the churchs worship, like that of the church itself, depends upon the place which these graces occupy in relation to each other. In the spiritual church with has the first place, and love the second; is the celestial church love occupies the first place, and faith the second. This difference arises from, and expresses, the order of progression in the Christian life; and, as a general result, the order of progression in the Christian church.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 374

The progression of the Christian church has been like that of the Christian life. The first Christian church was the temple of the Lord; the second is His tabernacle. The succession of these states in the Christian church has not been similar to that of their types in the Israelitish church. The tabernacle was before the temple. Before the Incarnation, the church. gradually and successively declined; since that event, the progress of the church has been upward. The first Christian church was more perfect than the Jewish; the second Christian church is more perfect than the first. The higher character of the second Christian dispensation is a matter of prophecy as well as of inference. In it are to be realized the promises, given through the prophets, of the glorious and peaceful states of the church of the latter days; when religious knowledge and righteousness shall be universal; when men and nations will see it to be their spiritual interest as well as their religions duty to love and help each other; and when they will strive not only to be rich and great, but to be wise and good. This is a lesson which even the people and nations of Christendom have yet to learn. Their mutual jealousies and conflicting interests allow how far they are from having a just apprehension of the true nature of Christianity, and how little they are influenced by its benign and disinterested spirit. This state of things will disappear when the tabernacle of God is with men. One of the blessings resulting from the tabernacle of God being with men is, that He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them, and be their God. The presence of God is universal and most intimate; for He is the Creator and Sustainer of all. But this presence does not secure to us any but the common blessings of existence. It does not make us virtuous or happy; but it preserves us in the faculty and power of being so. That which makes us holy and happy is the Divine presence in us; and this is meant in the Word by the Divine presence being with us.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 375

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 376

4. Another blessed effect of the Lords tabernacle being with men, and the immediate result of His dwelling with them, is now described. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. If this were to be understood literally, it would certainly lend support to the view that the New Jerusalem means the church in heaven; for there only can this state of things be fully realized. There is, indeed, an approximation to the truth in the common idea. The promise of immunity from affliction and death has immediate reference to the state of the faithful in the world of spirits or middle state. The judgment which has there been performed has brought the former things to an end. There can be no more death, for death has been cast into the lake of fire; there can be no more sorrow nor crying, nor toil, for the dragon that persecuted the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, has been finally consigned to his own habitation. Those whom the spirits of error and evil had thus infested in the middle state, have been raised into heaven, and are therefore freed for ever from the sorrow and suffering which their enemies inflicted. But while this prediction relates immediately to the slate of the faithful in the world of spirits as the effect of the judgment, it refers to the altered state of thing, resulting from the same event, in the natural world also. In the general sense, heaven and earth mean the church in heaven and the church on earth; therefore a new heaven means a New Church in heaven, and a new earth means a Now Church on earth. In the New Church on earth, which comes down from the New Christian Church in heaven, which is the church in heaven meant here, there will be no more tears, nor death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall be any more pain, for the former things which produced them are passed away. We are not, however, to understand that under the New Dispensation sorrow and death in every sense shall cease. So long as men are born natural and inclined to evil, and require to be re-born and made spiritual and heavenly, there will be sorrow and crying, and even death: for there is a sorrow that ends in joy, and a death that ends in life.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 377

There is, however, a sense in which this promise will receive its complete fulfillment. The dispensation itself will never die; nor will it ever show those symptoms of disease or signs of decay which all former dispensations have exhibited. As the descent of the New Jerusalem is the crowning scene of the apocalyptic vision and of the sacred volume itself, the New Church is to be the crowning dispensation of God upon earth. In it will he gradually and fully accomplished the Lords Divine purpose, "that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish" (Eph. v. 27).

But let us see what the language of this promise means in reference to the church on earth. Here, again, we shall find Scripture its own interpreter. Isaiah, speaking of the Lords work at His Coming into the world, says, "He will destroy in this mountain the face of the covering cast over all people, and the vail that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death in victory; and the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all faces; and the rebuke of His people shall He take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it" (xxv. 7, 8). The Lords victory over death was His victory over him that had the power of death (Heb. ii. 14), by which He effected the great work of human redemption. The state from which the Lord delivered mankind is described in the prophets as one of affliction, and sorrow, and pain, and even death; and the beneficent works He performed when on earth, of curing the diseased and comforting the afflicted, and even raising the dead, represented the far greater works of restoring the soul to spiritual health and life. The church which the Lord then established was to carry on the great and good work which He had begun. For a time the church went forth conquering and to conquer. But the days of single-minded faith, and disinterested love, and unwearied labor did not continue. The Revelation discloses the beginning and progress of evil and error, till the pale horse, ridden by Death and followed by Hell, trampled down all that was beautiful and goodly, which the early church had planted, and which she left as an inheritance to her children. As all this was foreseen and predicted, a remedy was provided and promised.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 378

5. When God had given the promise of wiping the tears from all eyes, and declared the end of the reign of death, and the cessation of sorrow and crying and toil, He announced the beginning of His new kingdom, in which the positive blessings of life and health and peace should be enjoyed. And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. A new heaven and a new earth have appeared; the New Jerusalem has been seen coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; the tabernacle of God has been declared to be with men; death and sorrow are to be no more, for the former things are passed away. What, then, is meant by all things being made new?

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 379

This Divine announcement, like that which precedes it, has immediate reference to the entirely new condition of things in the intermediate state, produced by the judgment, which raised the good into heaven and cast the evil into hell. The state of things, meant by the former things which are passed away, arose from the spirits of the just not yet made perfect, and the spirits of the unjust not yet knowing shame, being mingled together. Daniel describes the nature and effects of the change: "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly" (xii. 10). When all, both the good and the evil, are thus brought to the simple state of their inward and essential life, and are gathered to their own, the former state of things is ended. And with the end of the old comes the beginning of the new. But the passing away of the former things, and the making of all things new, though they first take place in the spiritual world, which is the world of causes, are continued in the natural world, which is the world of effects. Causes are not, however, always seen in their effects; and changes in the spiritual world produce corresponding changes in the natural world, only by degrees. This is expressed in the announcement itself; for He who sat upon the throne speaks of Himself, not as having made, but as making, all things new. This accords with what John says of the descent of the New Jerusalem. He saw it coming down from God out of heaven; to express the continual descent of the truth it represents into receptive human minds, and thus into the world, in which therefore the Lord is constantly operating, by His Spirit and His Word, to make all things now. But when even great changes take place in the natural world, it is not to be expected that their connection with the spiritual causes in which they originate will be recognized, such a connection being all but unknown. Besides, the effects of great and beneficial changes in the spiritual world may not always be of a directly spiritual character; nor may they always appear to indicate a heavenly cause. There are two reasons for this. In the first place, in the natural world, as in the spiritual, the making of all things new must be preceded by the passing away of former things; and old things cannot be brought to an end without something of the nature of a judgment. Our Lord speaks of His Coming being preceded by wars, and convulsions, and great tribulation. Whatever tends to make clear the distinction between the real and the seeming, the true and the false, and between good and evil, and whatever tends to separate them, and exalt the good and cast down the evil, is of the nature of a judgment; and is seldom effected without something of conflict and tribulation.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 380

We have spoken of the presence in the middle state, previous to the judgment, of multitudes of spirits, whose darkened states of mind obscured and obstructed the light of truth in its descent from God out of heaven into the human mind, as dark clouds interrupt the suns rays in passing to the earth, and we have referred to the mental obscurity which this produced. This obstruction having been removed, light from the Sun of righteousness can now flow into the human mind, without any hindrance but that which it meets with in the mind itself. Concurrent with this inflowing light of truth, in which there is the fire of love, there is a new revelation of the knowledge of truth. So that by the combined action of the inward influence and the outward means a new impulse and direction may be given to the mind, to aspire and strive after a truer faith, a purer love, and a holier life. It is not, however, as we have said, by the action of these on the religious sentiments alone that the Divine purpose is carried out. The light, which shines alike into the minds of the evil and the Good, of natural and of spiritual men, enlightens them on whatever subject or pursuit may form their peculiar study. All intellectual light is Divine in its origin and spiritual in its nature; so that on whatever subject true light is shed, that light, however natural it may become in the mind that employs it, is spiritual; and, when rightly directed, is conducive to the uses of spiritual life, and aids in advancing the cause of religious truth and goodness.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 381

One of the immediate results, and one of the dearest indications, of the change which has been effected in the spiritual world, by which all things are to be made new, is, greater freedom of thought, on all subjects of interest, especially of spiritual and eternal interest, to the human race. Regarding the new light as extending its influence to the whole circle of human affairs, the advance which has been made in everything that marks human progress is so great, that it is generally acknowledged we live in a new age. This progress has, it is true, been greatest, or at least, most obvious and striking, on the material side of human life. In some departments of human knowledge and the economy of life an entire revolution has been effected; entirely new powers have been added to the intellectual and physical nature of man. The greatest of mans achievements in these respects have been made in a way that shows forth the Divine beneficence and wisdom. The marvelous powers which the Creator has treasured up in His works have, by the intelligence which He Himself bestows, been turned into the most potent instruments of intellectual and physical service to man. Not only, however, on the physical and intellectual, but on the moral and religious side of human nature has progress been made. The abolition of slavery and serfdom shows that the conscience as well as the intelligence of Christendom has made an important advance. The cause of humanity has made undoubted progress; and civil and religions liberty has greatly increased. Ecclesiastics are perhaps, of all leaders of human opinion, the most conservative; yet there are not wanting signs of progress even among them. More enlightened views of Christian doctrine from time to time appear. There are also general as well as particular indications of advancement. The harder features of the old theology are gradually softening, and the deep lines that bespoke old age beginning to disappear. The same influence that acts upon the minds of the clergy acts upon the minds of the laity. The clergy cannot continue to preach what the laity will not continue to hear.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 382

It may be admitted that against these, which we claim as signs and instances of progress, may be placed some things that indicate retrangression. We have heard much of rationalism, and now we hear a good deal of scientific infidelity. All newly-acquired liberty is accompanied with some licentiousness, and every onward movement is attended by some excess. But liberty and progress are not the cause of these evils, but only the occasion. The Reformation of Luther was accompanied by the licentiousness of the Anabaptists, but did not surely produce it. It is not the new movement, but the old stagnation that gives birth to these excesses, which break forth when the artificial pressure is removed, and a new stimulus is given to activity. The irrational doctrines of the church have done much to produce rationalism; the consequent weak and unhealthy faith of its members has had its share in causing infidelity.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 383

When all things had been declared to have been made new, John was commanded to Write: for these words are true and faithful. Writing is confirmation for what is written is settled and fixed. And in regard to man, when his principles have come into action and his states of thought and affection are confirmed, they are inscribed upon the table of his heart or in the book of his life, and there remain for ever. With those who have become new creatures, "Faithful and True" are written upon their whole being. The words are the Lords, and they are: written by the hand of John; for Divine truths are written on the heart by the power of love.

6. When John had written the momentous announcement, "Behold, I make all things new," He who had uttered the words said, It is done. The Divine declaration, "It is done," is of the same import as the Lords dying exclamation, "It is finished!" But the Divine voice now comes, not from the cross, but from the throne; not from the Lords suffering, but from His glorified, Humanity. Yet the two exclamations relate to similar events. When Jesus on the cross exclaimed, "It is finished!" He declared the end of the Jewish church. When from the throne He exclaimed, "It is done!" He declared the end of the first Christian church. But the end of one dispensation is the beginning of another. When the Jewish church ended, the Christian church began, So, in like manner, the end of the first; Christian church was the beginning of the second. When the church of the First Advent had passed away, the church of the Second Advent appeared. The two events are of the same nature, and are analogous. The nature of the second may therefore be seen in that of the first. Let us briefly compare them.

Although, when the Lord declared, "It is finished," there was an end of the Jewish church, there was not an end of the Jewish Scriptures. They were not abolished; but their whole aspect was changed. The law and the prophets remained; but the Jewish idea passed away, and the Christian idea came in its place.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 384

What has been said, and is generally admitted, of the Jewish church in relation to the Christian, may to a great extent be said of the first Christian church in relation to the second. Christianity itself is indeed a finality; but the Christian church as at first established was not the full measure of its perfection. Although from the first the Christian church stood on a distinctly higher level than the Jewish, it did not at once attain its highest possible elevation. Mankind had been spiritually descending for ages, and were in their most degraded state when Christ appeared. They could not at once grasp the whole truth, or realize the highest excellences, of His Divine religion. According to His own wise and beneficent plan, the Lord gave them His truth as they were able to hear it. And He told His disciples, and thus His church, "I have many things to say unto you, but ye cannot hear them now." But admitting that the church was to rise to higher states of intelligence and virtue, it may seem that this is to be attained, not by ally higher development of Christianity itself, but only by a clearer discernment of its truth and a. more perfect exhibition of its goodness. But great changes are effected, not only by imperceptible but by distinct degrees. In nature, life works out its mature results, not only by continuous but also by discrete degrees of advancement. The child becomes a man, not by mere growth of body and expansion of mind, but by the development of pre-existing powers, and an elevation of the mind into a distinctly higher degree of life and intelligence. It is in this way that a higher dispensation succeeds a lower. The second church was in the first, as the man is in the child. The second is the first in a. state of greater perfection and in a higher stage of development.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 385

When the Lord from the throne said, "It is done," He added, I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. This declaration, which we also find in the first chapter and in the last, is no doubt introduced here for the purpose of expressing the connection of the new order of things with Him who is the sum of all perfection, the Infinite Love and the Infinite Wisdom, the origin and end of the principles of the church, the Author and Finisher of our faith. He therefore continues, I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. The Lord is the Source, His Word is the Fountain, of the Truth as a living principle, and as that which gives life. The life of truth is love. Truth in its origin is living; for in its source Divine Truth is united to Divine Love. In the human mind only can they be separated. Their separation is the cause of their destruction in the human mind, and hence in the church. As it is by the separation of love and truth that the church is destroyed, it is by the union of love and truth that the church is restored. To the restored church the Lord again reveals Himself as the Giver of living water. But it is given to him that is athirst; for it is given to those who have a desire for truth. Every one who desires truth for its own sake, which iv for the sake of the good it teaches, receives it. No others can receive the water of life. Loveless truth is not truth in its active usefulness. It is like water frozen into ice; it never fulfils its use till warmth sets it free. "He causeth His wind to blow, and the waters flow" (Ps. cxlvii. 18). Then the waters have free course to run and be glorified in moral growth and fruitfulness. But what is the meaning of these waters being freely given to the thirsty? God can no more withhold His gifts than the sun can withhold His influence. The gifts of God are free, as being bestowed "without money and without price" (Isa. lv. 1). We have no claim to them; we can give no equivalent for them; nor, when we have received them, can we regard them as our own. The absence of all ideas of self-righteousness, and of the feelings they engender, are to be among the distinguishing characteristics of the subjects of the Lords new kingdom. They will ever look upon the gifts of their King as free, dispensed to them in pure and unmerited mercy. This same truth was taught by the Lord to His disciples, when He said, "Freely ye have received, freely give" (Matt. x. 8).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 386

7. The truth which comes as a free gift from its Author s to be used by those who receive it. Its first use is to overcome error and evil, as the necessary means of acquiring actual and eternal possession of goodness and truth. Therefore the free gift is followed by the declaration, He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be My son. We have seen what is meant by overcoming; for this duty is laid upon all the seven churches. We need only, in this place, point to the happy result--the inheritance of all things. All things good and true are inherited by him who overcomes all things evil and false. This is a law of eternal and immutable order. It may seem to some a strange and even a dangerous doctrine, that it is of more importance to desire and strive to cease from evil than it is even to strive to do good. But the reason shows its truth. So long as evil occupies the ground of the human heart, no good thing can take root and grow in it. But if evil be removed, the seed is received into good ground, and brings forth abundantly. The removal of evil is, therefore, a necessary means of receiving and doing good. Men may do outward good without overcoming inward evil, that it is of more importance to desire and strive to cease from evil than it is even to strive to do good. But the reason shows its truth. So long as evil occupies the ground of the human heart, no good thing can take root and grow in it. But if evil be removed, the seed is received into good ground, and brings forth abundantly. The removal of evil is, therefore, a necessary means of receiving and doing good. Men may do outward good without overcoming inward evil, but such good is either spurious or hypocritical. It is not done for the love of Good, but only for the appearance, or the reputation at goodness It is, therefore, those who overcome that inherit all things. They will have the inward inheritance of all heavenly graces, and then the outward inheritance of heaven itself, if that can he called outward which is the habitation of purity and virtue. He who overcomes evil in himself has the Lord for his God, and is a son of God. A son of God is one who is born of God The new birth is that complete change, by which old things the done away, and all things are become new. This individual change is that for the sake of which all others are made. It is, therefore, added to the general changes indicated by the passing away of heaven and earth, and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth, and all things being made new.

8. While the promise of the inheritance of all good is given to the faithful and self-denying, the unfaithful are threatened with the terrible consequences of their sins.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 387

9, 10. John had already seen the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven. He is now to see it from another point of view, which will enable him to perceive and describe it in all its parts. And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lambs wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, t he holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God. It can hardly be doubted that this new view of the city, and the circumstances connected with it, have an instructive meaning. Why should the Seer have to be taken to the top of a great and high mountain, to be shown the city he had been able to see on the plain below?

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 389

This mountain of love occupies a prominent place in the Scriptures. Moses went up to the top of Mount Sinai to receive the law of love; for such the Decalogue is, notwithstanding the tables having been broken through the sins of the people. Moses went up to the top of Pisgah and viewed the holy land, as John went up to the mountain to see the holy city. Jesus took His three disciples up with Him to the mount of transfiguration. In the opposite sense, in which a mountain means self-love, which is the perversion of love to God, the Devil took Jesus up into an exceeding high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them, promising Him the possession of them if He would fall down and worship him.

Before John was carried up to the high mountain he had seen the church as a bride; the angel is to show him the church as a bride and as a wife--the bride and wife of the Lamb. The church is a bride when she is prepared for conjunction with the Lord; she is a wife when conjunction is effected. The city was at first called holy, now it is also called great; for holy is expressive of its state in regard to truth and faith, but great is expressive of its state in regard to goodness and love. These additions to its excellences are therefore expressive of the higher states that arise from greater elevation of mind. What seems singular, the holy Jerusalem is still seen descending. For the church, or the principles of which it consists, are continually descending out of heaven from God into the hearts and minds of men. The church has, indeed, its organic forms of doctrine and worship, law and order; but these, like all organisms, are intended for the reception of the living principles of love and wisdom from the Lord, which flow into them as heat and light flow from the sun into the organized forms of nature.

There is one other distinction in the two statements which is not unworthy of notice. In the first, the holy city is said to come down from God out of heaven; in the second, it is said to come down out of heaven from God. Literally, there is no difference, except that the terms of the sentence are transposed. But in the spiritual sense there is a transposition, not of words, but of ideas. In one case God is named first, in the other He is named last, to express the idea that He is the first and the last in all things of heaven and the church, and in those who pass from faith to charity, from wisdom to love.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 390

11. The particulars which enter into and constitute the church, the harmonious combination of which makes her a form of transcendent beauty, come now to be described. She is first spoken of as having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal. Glory and light are so familiar as images, and so expressive as analogies, that we need do little more than point out their distinct yet similar meanings. Glory is the radiance of light. The glory and light of the city answer, as we learn from verse 23, to the light of the sun and the light of the moon. Light is the emblem of truth; the radiance of light is the emblem of love. The glory of God, so much spoken of in Scripture, is the Lords Divine Truth radiant with Divine Love. Without heat light is destitute of glory. The cold light of the moon, beautiful as it is, has no radiance. The warm light of the sun irradiates all that it falls upon. The splendor of the rising and setting sun, the fervid brightness of its noonday rays, are faint images of the glory of God which lightens the New Jerusalem. The light of the holy city, as distinguished from its glory, is like a stone most precious, even a jasper stone, clear as crystal. We shall have occasion to speak of the jasper stone, as one of the foundations of the New Jerusalem. It is sufficient for our present purpose to regard it as a stone most precious and clear as crystal. Stones are emblematic of truth. The Lord is called, by way of eminence, the Stone, as being the Truth itself. When understood of the Word of truth, from which the church immediately derives its light and glory, stones are emblematical of its literal sense, while light means its spiritual sense, and glory its celestial sense. Among the literal truths of the Word, there are some common and some precious, and some of these more precious than others. Precious stones are those which transmit the light, or reflect it in beautiful colors; and the more perfect the transmission and reflection the more precious the stone. So with the literal truths of the Word. The more perfectly they transmit or reflect to the mental eye the light of the spiritual sense, or rather the light of the indwelling Sun of Righteousness, which shines perpetually within, the more precious they are. Yet the quality of truth, in this respect, is not entirely intrinsic, but is partly relative. The same truth in the Word is different in different minds. In some minds all truths are common, in some all are precious. None but precious stones enter into the structure of the New Jerusalem. In the New Church all the truths of the Word are translucent. The letter of the Word is no longer a covering that conceals its glory, but a medium which transmits it.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 391

12-14. The city, so magnificent, had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and of the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. On the east, three gates; on the north, three gates; on the south, three gates; and on the west, three gates. And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. Cities were walled for security. The church needs protection, and is therefore provided with the means of defense. This need of protection is not entirely the result of sin, nor are the means of defense the fruits of human contrivance. They are shadowed forth, not only in the works of man, but in the works of God. Throughout nature, and not least in man, the inward and vital parts are wrapped in delicate coverings and defended by strong malls. The inward and vital principles of the church, which are love and charity, are no less in need of being provided with the means of protection. The same law presides over the whole world of mind, and extends even to the throne of God, around which are the cherubim; heaven, which is Gods throne, requiring for its preservation a protective, as well as a sustaining providence. If heaven needs protection, how much more the church. Zion is, therefore, described, as having walls and bulwarks (Ps. xlviii. 13), and the Lord compares the kingdom of heaven to a mall who planted a vineyard, and, while he digged a winepress and built a tower, hedged it round about. The Lord Himself, in His temptation, employed means of defense against His great adversary. And what were the means He employed? The Lord defended Himself against the wiles and assaults of Satan by the truths of His own written Word. These same truths form the wall which surrounds the church, and makes it a city that is compact together, and defends it against the assaults of its enemies. These enemies of the church consist not only of wicked man and evil spirits, who seek to effect her ruin by subverting her principles and corrupting the hearts of her children, they include also the evil inclinations and false suggestions which belong to the natural mind of the members of the church themselves, and which are ever ready to rise up against and assail the heavenly principles of the spiritual mind.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 392

The holy truths of the Word, by which the church defends herself; are the precious stones that garnish the twelve foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem, and the jasper that forms the wall itself. The truths that protect the inward and vital principles of the church are those of the literal sense of the Word. And, indeed, the literal sense of the Word forms a wall of defense around its inward spiritual sense. What may be said of the church may also be said of the Word. The church exists from the Word, and her character is according to her understanding of the Word. Love and charity, which constitute the inward and vital principles of the church, constitute the inward and living principles of the Word, and the truths of the literal sense enclose, and thus protect and preserve them. The wall of the city was great and high. In the New Church the means fur the protection, defense, and preservation of her inward and vital principles are more complete and perfect than in any former dispensation. The truths which form a defense to the church are those contained in the literal sense of the Word; for these form a covering and defense to its inward spiritual truths. The wall is said to be great and high to express those two essential elements, the good and the true, which the Word everywhere, even to its lowest literal sense, contains. Great is expressive of good, and high is expressive of truth. These must also be in every mind as a defense against evil and falsity; for what is true of the church in general is also true of the church in particular. The truths of the Word are now more clearly seen than under any previous dispensation. The genuine truths of the letter of the Word are now made known. And all the truths of the letter, whether genuine or apparent, are made clear as crystal by the inward light of the spiritual sense shining through them. All these truths are now scan to have relation to love and charity, for on these two eternal immutable commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

The wall had twelve gates, and at (or over) the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel. The gates of walled cities were for egress and ingress, and yet were strong enough to serve for defense. As the walls of the city find their analogies in nature, and especially in the human frame, so do the gates. The senses are the gateways of the soul as well as of the body; by them the soul communicates with the outer world, and the outer world with the soul. They are sentinels as well as avenues.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 393

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 394

Of the twelve gates there were on the east, three gates; on the north, three gates, on the south, three gates; and on the west, three gates. The gates giving entrance to the city on all sides proclaim, in the expressive language of symbolism, that the knowledge which opens a way into the church of God is adapted to all capacities and states of mind--to those at least who have any sincere affection for what is good and true, and ally desire for salvation and eternal life. To be truly catholic or universal, the church must be capable of receiving within its walls all who have any affection for goodness and truth. And the church can only receive them within its walls by bringing the knowledge of its principles down to their apprehension; for men are only introduced into the church by the principles of the church being introduced into them and grafted in their hearts. So far as religion is an unexplained mystery, and adhesion to it a blind faith, it is not real but only nominal religion, it is in fact only superstition. The church in this case has but one gate--the gate of unquestioning obedience to human authority, through which all alike are compelled to enter. That one gate is on the north, and all must go round to that region of shade and cold before they can be admitted. The true church is open on all sides. It is adapted to all minds, and ministers to all states. It can satisfy all the demands of the intellect, and all the desires of the heart. All these are included in the four sides of the city, with its gates on every side.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 395

And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. St. Paul says to those who are of the household of God, ye "are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone; in whom all the building, fitly framed together, groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord: in whom se also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit" (Eph. ii. 20-28).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 396

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 397

15. The angel, who had thus far enabled John to see the New Jerusalem in its various parts, now proceeds himself to take its dimensions. And he that talked with me had a golden read to measure the city, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof. We have already seen, in explaining the eleventh chapter, where John is commanded to measure the temple, that measuring means to estimate, to ascertain the quality of a thing by applying a rule. There are some differences between these two acts of measuring that are deserving of attention. In the first instance, the angel required John to measure the temple; in this case, the angel himself measured the holy city. The temple which John measured means the church in heaven; the city which the angel measured means the church on earth: for that which John measured was the temple which he saw opened in heaven; and that which the angel measured was the city which John saw coming down out of heaven. The man measures the heavenly, the angel measures the earthly. These are like the two modes of investigating and judging, the analytic and the synthetic. And these indeed obtain in spiritual as well as in natural things. Analysis is that process by which we ascend intellectually from the natural to the spiritual; synthesis is that by which we descend from the spiritual to the natural. These processes are carried on reciprocally by men and angels, and by the external and internal man. The external estimates the quality of the internal by the measure of its own capacity for receiving internal truth; and the internal estimates the quality of the external by the measure of conformity or correspondence between the external and itself. The power and prerogative of the lower to judge of the higher the apostle recognizes where he says, "Know ye not that we shall judge angels?" And the apostles themselves, as angels, are spoken of as judging men. In estimating and judging of heavenly states and things, we must, if we would estimate and judge rightly, be in the good of charity, which John represented, and, like him, receive our measuring rod from heaven; for if we judge from natural good, and by the standard of natural truth, our conclusions respecting spiritual and heavenly things will be natural and therefore erroneous. Another difference between the two acts of measuring the temple and the city is in the instruments.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 398

16. The angel who had the golden reed now proceeds to measure the city. And the city lieth four-square, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length, and the breadth, and the height of it are equal. This measure, it has often been remarked, cannot be the dimensions of any earthly city. A city about fifteen hundred miles square is not to be thought of as a city. The equality of its length, breadth, and height does not by any means give the idea of architectural symmetry. It only and obviously gives the idea of uniformity.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 399

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 400

17. Besides the common measure of the length, breadth, and height of the city, there is a special measure of the wall. And he measured the wall thereof, an hundred and forty and four cubits, according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. The wall included all that had reference to the defense and preservation of the church, which are effected by the truths of the letter of the Word, whence all its doctrine is derived; and this measure of the wall expresses the harmony of the Divine testimony as given in the letter of the Word. The twelve twelves, which make the mystical number of a hundred and forty-four, are expressive of the same quality and equality that are implied in the length and breadth of the city; for the doctrine of good and truth is the exposition or defense of the principles themselves which constitute the church. The measure is said to be according to the measure of a man, that is, of the angel. The man and the angel unite in the messenger that measured the New Jerusalem. The church on earth and the church in heaven unite in the holy city. It came down from heaven. It is at once angelic and human in its nature. The golden reed of love to God is the standard of character in the church triumphant and in the church militant. The church is the Lords kingdom on earth, and makes one by correspondence and conjunction with His kingdom in heaven. The church is a true church when the measure of the man is the measure of the angel. For as angels were once men, and men are designed to become angels, the measure of the man and of the angel is the same.

18. We now come to a description of the composition of the wall and of the city. And the building of the wall of it was of jasper: and the city was pure gold, like unto clear glass. We need not now speak of the wall, except as regards the difference of the materials of which the wall and the city itself consist. The wall is of jasper, the city is of pure gold. The wall, which encloses and defends the city, is of jasper, because this precious stone, which forms the wall and one of its foundations, is the symbol of Divine Truth as we possess it in the literal sense of the Word.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 401

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 402

19, 20. Having described the structure of the wall of the city and of the city itself, John now proceeds to describe the garniture of the twelve foundations of the wall. And the foundations of the wall of the city were garnished with all manner of precious stones. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, a chalcedony; the fourth, and emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolyte; the eighth, beryl; theninth, a topaz; the tenth, a chrysoprasus; the eleventh, a jacinth; the twelfth, an amethyst. As we are now about to consider the foundations and structure of the wall of the holy city, it may be useful to inquire into the symbolism of the precious stones which composed them. The philosophy of nature shows the ground of the imagery which, in this instance, it signifies. Precious stones owe their transparency, brilliancy, and color to their power of refracting and reflecting light. The beauty which they exhibit is not in themselves, but in the light which they transmit. Their texture is all that can be called their own. Their various and beautiful colors are the suns white light, which they have the power of breaking up into its innumerable prismatic rays. To the sun they are indeed indebted for their original structure, as well as for their present appearance. The luminary, whose light they transmit or reflect in rainbow hues, and with more than rainbow splendor, formed them for displaying his glories before the eyes of beholders. In speaking thus of the sun, we speak indirectly of Him who made the sun, and who acts through it as His instrument and image. It is this relation which makes nature and revelation so perfectly akin, that each is an exponent of the other. The Word of God is like His works. The truths of the Word, like the objects of creation, have been produced by that very light, which they have the power of transmitting to the human understanding. The light received and transmitted consists of two principles--causticity and lucidity--a burning quality and a shining quality. These are the origin of the red and of the white rays, of which all colors, with the intervention of black, are modifications. The causticity and lucidity of the suns rays are emblems, as they are effects, of Love and Wisdom in the Deity; and these, presented on the dark ground of the human mind, give birth to all the varieties of human and angelic affections and ideas, as the rainbow is painted on the dark cloud.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 403

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 404

In comparing the stones in the breastplate of Aaron and those that form the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem, the arrangements are partly the inverse of each other, as if they described a descending and an ascending series. One begins where the other ends. The jasper, which is the last stone in the ephod, is the first in the wall of the holy city. Yet in each it occupies its proper place; for the first foundation is the lowest. But although the last stone in the ephod is the first in the wall of the holy city, the last stone in the mall is not the first in the ephod. The first stone in the ephod is the fire-red sardius, and the last is the milk-white jasper, representing the entire descending series, from the highest form of love to the lowest form of truth, which we find united in Him who is the First and the Last. In the foundations of the wall, the first is the jasper, and the last is the amethyst. Nor do the two series in all other respects correspond. Indeed, there are some stones in each that are not found in the other; and those that are common to both do not always occupy the same relative place. On this there are three things to be observed. Descending and ascending series do not always precisely answer to each other in substance or form.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 405

The labors of learned and diligent investigators give these results:--

1. Jasper: of various colors--white, purple, cornelian, green; opaque.

2. Sapphire: sky-blue; transparent.

3. Chalcedony: generally whitish or bluish; semi-transparent.

4. Emerald: grass-green; transparent.

5. Sardonyx: the red-veined onyx, exhibiting the red of the cornelian with the white of the chalcedony, intermingled in alternate layers; semi-transparent,

6. Sardius, or ruby: fire-red; transparent.

7. Chrysolite: olive-green; transparent.

8. Beryl: pale sea-green, inclining sometimes to blue; semi-transparent.

9. Topaz: wine or golden yellow; transparent.

10. Chrysoprasus: golden green; transparent.

11. Jacinth: pomegranate yellow; transparent.

12. Amethyst: deep purple or violet; transparent.

"The first foundation was jasper." Of the stones whose precise nature is doubtful the jasper is one. A writer, speaking of the precious stones in the Revelation, and of the jasper in particular, remarks: "There is considerable difficulty in always ascertaining the precious stones of the ancients, as the original names in some instances have been transferred to others. The jasper of antiquity is of this description. The jasper of the Greeks has the same appellation in the Hebrew; but not being derived from any verb, the leading idea cannot be deduced from that source. Some color is obviously, in the passage before us (iv. 3), intended to be the emblematic idea of the nature or character of the Deity; but jaspers are found of various colors; and it is not easy to ascertain the prevalent color assigned by St. John. The milk-white jasper seems the most probable." Swedenborg, in treating of the stones in the breastplate of Aaron (Ex. xxviii. 20), speaks of the jasper as white and pellucid. And this certainly answers to Johns description of it, as being clear as crystal. Its color may be inferred from the fact, recorded in chapter iv., that He that sat upon the throne was to look upon like a jasper and a sardine stone.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 406

What then, may we conclude, is the meaning of the jasper, which forms the first foundation of the wall of the New Jerusalem, and what apostles name may we suppose to be written upon it? The twelve precious stones that form the twelve foundations of the wall of the holy city, representing the fundamental truths or doctrines on which the church is built, and on which it rests, what truth is that which forms the first foundation, and on which all the others in a measure rest?

The church is "built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief corner-stone" (Eph. ii. 20). "Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner-stone, a sure foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste. Judgment also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet" (Isa. xxviii. 17, 8; 1 Peter ii. 6). The church is built upon the truths and principles which the apostles and prophets revealed and represented, and which the Lord Himself is. But among all the truths which the apostles and prophets revealed, there is one that forms the first and chief foundation of the church, and enters, besides, into its whole superstructure; as the jasper is said to form the wall of the city, as well as its first foundation. That one is the truth which is expressed in the famous confession of Peter. When the Lord inquired of His apostles, "Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am? And they said, Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father which is in heaven. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it" (Matt. xvi. 13-18). This precious truth, that the Son of man is also the Son of God, is the first, the chief, and the immovable foundation on which the doctrinal wall of the New Jerusalem is built, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. This doctrine teaches not only the sole Divinity of Jesus Christ, but the Divinity of His Humanity. For Jesus was the twice-begotten Son of God.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 407

The next two stones after the jasper are the sapphire and the chalcedony. We must here remark that the precious stones in the wall of the New Jerusalem, like those in the breastplate of Aaron, are to be divided into four particular series, each consisting of three. If the jasper represents the doctrine of the Lord, we may conclude that the first three foundations represent the fundamental principles of faith in the Lord, as the God and Savior of men. The sapphire, which is the middle stone of this first series here, occupies the middle place in the second series of stones in the ephod, and the group to which it there belongs signifies the celestial love of truth. But the sapphire has a large signification, as it is mentioned several times in the Word, both historical and prophetical.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 408

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 409

In regard to Andrew, he, as the brother of Peter, represents the obedience of faith, which is faith as exemplified in use. This is in some measure evident from the precious stone itself, with which we connect his name. The chalcedony is of a whitish or bluish tint, and being without the warmth of red, which is the emblem of love, it belongs to the class of gems that represent truth.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 410

There is one circumstance connected with Andrew, in his relation to the Lord on the one hand and to Peter on the other, which is interesting and instructive. Although Peter was the first of the Lords apostles, Andrew was the first of His disciples; and it was, as we have seen, through Andrew that Peter became a disciple of Jesus. Andrew, therefore, represents faith in the will as well as faith in act. We read in Scripture of believing with the heart, and of the opposite state of an evil heart of unbelief. Faith in the will, which Andrew represents, is that affirmative state of the heart which disposes the mind to receive, and which brings the understanding to believe, the truth, as Andrew brought his brother Simon to the Lord; and which ultimately comes, through faith, into the outward life, which is the obedience of faith. It is in this last character that Andrew is to be understood as having his name inscribed on the third foundation of the wall of the New Jerusalem.

The jasper, the sapphire, and the chalcedony represent, therefore, the doctrine of the Lord, the truth that bears witness to it, and the life in which it is exemplified.

The next three stones that enter into the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem are the emerald, the sardonyx, and the sardius.

According to the Authorized Version, the emerald is the first stone in the second row of precious stones in the breastplate of Aaron. In this and the other three places in the Hebrew Scriptures where this word occurs (Ex. lxxix. 11; Ezek. xxvi. 17, xxviii. 13), Swedenborg translates it chrysoprasus. We therefore derive no aid from his explanation of the meaning of the stone in the ephod which the English Bible calls an emerald. The only other instance in which the emerald is named is where the singular phenomenon of a rainbow like an emerald is seen around the throne on which the Lord was seated, when He was to look upon as a jasper and a sardine stone (Rev. iv. 3). In that instance, we have seen, the emerald signifies the external sphere of the Lords Love and Wisdom. The color, indeed, as being that which prevails in nature, indicates this. Green, the central color in the rainbow, was once considered to be produced by the blending of blue and yellow, which appear on either side of it in the celestial arch; which would have led us to believe that green would signify the conjunction of goodness and truth in the natural degree.

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The green of art may be obtained by compounding blue and yellow; but this is doe to the pigments employed.

But although green has an external signification, get, as the color of the robe in which nature is arrayed, it is the sign and the emblem of life. And as the tender grass, which has more of the yellow tint, comes, and is associated in our minds with spring, the season of youth, and freshness, and hope, both to nature and human life, we may see in this grass-green colored stone the emblem of the beginning of a series of doctrinal truths that may, both simply and combined, have in their character and results a very exalted meaning. The other two stones, the sardonyx and sardius, are emblems of the higher and the highest of all the grasses. The sardonyx is named from its being streaked with red; and the sardius or ruby is well known to be of a glowing red color. This series of colors may be compared to spring, summer, and autumn; and its progressive growth and development onward to its ultimate use, may be expressed by that analogy by which our Lord describes three stages of the regenerate life--first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. The emerald is like spring and the blade, the sardonyx is like summer and the ear, the sardius like autumn and the full corn in the ear. In this trine, therefore, we have an emblem of the elements of love, which is life, in its beginning, progress, and final result which is use. As the first series of stones belongs to the principles and progress of faith in the Lord, this series symbolizes the principles and progress of love to the Lord. Of the last two stones of this trine, the sardonyx does not appear in the enumeration of those in the Urim and Thummin; but the onyx, of which the sardonyx is a species, does. The onyx is the middle stone of the last three, and comes between the beryl and the jasper. The sardonyx is the red-veined onyx, as if it were a mixture of the onyx and the sardius, next to which it stands.

The three apostles whose names we connect with these three stones, as representing the qualities of which they are emblems, are Bartholomew, James, and John. Nothing is said in the Gospels respecting Bartholomew, except that his name, as one of the apostles, occurs in the first three Gospels and in the Acts. But it is generally under stood that the Bartholomew of the synoptic Gospels and the Acts is the Nathaniel of the Gospel of St. John; and respecting his character we have the testimony of an infallible witness.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 412

Of the six stones which form the two particular series we have now considered, the first is the jasper and the last is the sardius; and these two stones are the last and the first of the twelve stones in the breast-plate of Aaron. Here we regard them as the first and the last, or the lowest and highest of the foundation stones that relate immediately to the Lord. The jasper, as the last stone in the breastplate of Aaron, and the first foundation in the wall of the New Jerusalem, is emblematic of Divine Truth in ultimates. This is what our Lord was when Re came into the world. As the Word made flesh, He was the Last, as from eternity He had been the First. The truth relating to Him, as God manifest in the flesh, is the first foundation of the church in the human mind; and love to Him is the last of the foundations that relate to the Lord as the object of Christian faith and love, and therefore of worship. As the first six foundations represent fundamental principles relating to the Lord, the last six which now follow, represent fundamental principles relating to the neighbor.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 413

The next three stones which come now to be considered, are the chrysolite, the beryl, and the topaz. The chrysolite does not appear to have been among the stones in the ephod. The topaz is the middle stone of the first row, and the beryl is the first stone of the last row. These two stones, which are in the first and last series in the ephod, are hero brought together, and form the third foundation of the wall of the holy city. According to the authorities we have quoted, the chrysolite is olive-green, the beryl is sea-green, and the topaz is wine or golden yellow. The chrysolite is not, under that name at least, among the stones of the ephod. The beryl, which our quoted authorities say is sea-green, the author of the Arcana Caelestia classes with the onyx and the jasper, as stones approaching in color to white derived from blue. The topaz, though the derivation of the name is unknown, he thinks was of a red flaming color. This he concludes from what Job (xxviii. 19) says respecting wisdom, that "the topaz of Ethiopia. shall not equal it, neither shall it be valued with pure gold." Jobs argument requires that the topaz should indeed be a precious stone, but does not require that it should be of any particular hue. The author does not assert, but conjectures, giving reasons, however, for its probable color. He did not receive natural knowledge by inspiration; yet his inferences respecting the colors of some of the stones may be as near the truth as the conclusions or traditional knowledge of others on this subject, where the light is dim and uncertain. While he speaks of the topaz, where it occupies the highest rank in the ephod, as belonging to the celestial class, and signifying the good of celestial love, he speaks of the beryl, where it occupies the lowest rank, as belonging to the spiritual class, and signifying the spiritual love of truth. Although an object does not change its meaning when it changes its place or enters into a new combination, it changes its rank and acquires a modified signification. And this is the case with the precious stones; as it is with the apostles, whose names they bear, and with the tribes of Israel, whose names were engraven on the stones of the ephod. If we are right in regarding the last six stones as representing fundamental principles of love to the neighbor, as the first six represent the fundamental principles of love to the Lord, the precious stones we have now to consider are emblematic of these principles, or of the doctrines that unfold the secondary law, "Then shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." For love to the Lord and love to the neighbor are the sum of all the Divine laws. Every precept, every truth, whether it relate to faith or love, to worship or life, has no other end than practical love to God and to man.

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All men are included in the name of the neighbor we are to love as ourselves; and we, are to love all without exception; for we are to love our enemies as well as our friends. But true doctrine obviates the serious evils which arise from undiscriminating love and indiscriminate charity. Although we are to love the evil as well as the good, we are not to love the evil as well as the good that is in them. It is not the persons of men, but the good that is in them, which makes them our neighbors. Good itself is essentially the neighbor we are to love. On this principle we can love all, and love them for the good that is in them, and for the good we can do them. It may be thought that there are some persons who have no good in them for the good to love. But all men have some remains of goodness: and that goodness, however small it be, is the quality in evil men which the good are to regard as the neighbor they are to love. As good in a person is essentially our neighbor, his person is our neighbor in a secondary sense; for we cannot love the good in a person without loving the person himself; therefore every person is to be regarded as our neighbor, but still with discrimination as to the quality, and for the sake, of the good he possesses.

If good is the neighbor we are to level what is the love of which he is to be the object? Considered in itself, love to the neighbor, which is charity, is goodwill towards him. "Goodwill towards men" is the end, and is to be the fruit, of the gospel of peace. But goodwill, which is Good in the will, must be united to truth in the understanding; for true love is love enlightened, and therefore guided and guarded, by truth. Without this guiding power, neighborly love is simply a good impulse, that may be excited by any object that appeals to it, and which may be exerted not only without any beneficial, but even with injurious, results.

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Everything that God has created, or that He bestowal has use or good for its end. He especially created human beings to be useful to each other. No creatures are so dependent upon each others help as human beings, for all that is comprehended in the term life. Even if physical existence could be maintained, mental improvement would be impossible, without the constant action of mind upon mind. And the mind is the real man. The faculties of liberty and reason, which distinguish man from all other creatures, are potential humanity. Only by their well-directed development does their possessor become actually human. Unlike mere animals, man inherits nothing hut the faculties that belong to his nature; and but for the agency of others, whose minds have been enriched by the accumulated knowledge and experience of ages, they would remain undeveloped. If human agency is necessary for fashioning the mind to the image of the world, still more requisite is it for forming it to the image of heaven. Revelation is indeed the source of religious knowledge, as God is the Giver of spiritual power. But here human agency is even more necessary than in the affairs of temporal life; for in the human mind, as: it now is, there is no inherent inclination for the acquirement of spiritual things or the attainment of eternal life. The noblest office of charity is to aid in promoting this higher life. If God has created the world for the sake of heaven, and bestowed temporal for the sake of eternal life, we can only be workers together with Him by promoting His plan; and thus, like Him, making the temporal a means to the eternal. This is the highest use which charity can render to the neighbor.

The apostles whose names we connect with the precious stones of this order, and who represent the principles which the stones signify, are Thomas, Matthew, and James the son of Alpheus. These, according to Matthew, are the seventh, eighth, and ninth of the apostles, as the chrysolite, the beryl, and the topaz are of the stones in the foundations of the wall. But we are to look to their representative character for their fitness to occupy the place we have assigned them.

Thomas, the first of this trine, is better known as an apostle than either Matthew or James. We read of Thomas on the occasion of the death of Lazarus, when Jews declared His intention to go, and invited His disciples to accompany Him, to the place where Lazarus was: "Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow-disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him" (John xi. 16). It has been remarked that this appeal shows great devotion to the Lord, but little knowledge of His character or faith in His power.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 417

There is not much said of Matthew in the Gospels. Matthew is, of course, well known as an evangelist; but it is as an apostle that we are at present to regard him. It is true that what we learn of him is more in his relation to the Lord than to his fellow-disciples, yet the sacred history shows him to have had a strong feeling of charity for his fellow-sinners. When, after his call, he made a great feast for Jesus and His disciples, they were not his only guests, but "there was a great company of publicans, and of others, that sat down with them" (Luke v. 29); doing the willingness, if not the desire, of the converted publican that others like him should share in the feast of love and wisdom, into which the Lord was sure to turn the feast of gratitude and joy which His new disciple had prepared for Him. If there is anything to direct or assist us in determining the representative character of a person in the signification of his name, we have a double advantage in this respect in the case of this apostle. The name Matthew is derived from a word that signifies to give, which is sufficiently expressive of the affection of charity, which is a willingness to impart, not only temporal but spiritual good to others. But Matthew is called by another name, which is equally expressive. In Mark (ii. 14) and Luke (v. 27, 29) he is named Levi. Levi means joined; and this name was given by Leah to her third son, because she said, "Now this time will my husband be joined unto me." The import of this name was further exemplified when the tribe of Levi was divinely appointed to the priesthood. In the highest sense, Levi represented love, as the uniting medium between the Lord and the church; and in the secondary sense, he represented charity, as the common bond of union among the members of the church itself, as the tribe of Levi was among the tribes of Israel. "Charity is the bond of perfectness" (Col. iii. 14); by which not only the members of the true church, but the sincere members of every church and of all churches, are united, and form the one universal church, and by which, under the New Dispensation, all nations are to be united into one common brotherhood. This is the charity or love of the neighbor which these precious stones signify, and which the apostle with the others of the same trine represent.

With regard to the third apostle, it is still an undecided question whether James the son of Alpheus and James the brother of the Lord (Gal. i. 19) are the same person; and, if they are different, which of them was the author of the Epistle of James. The epistle is certainly highly characteristic of one whom we regard as representing the practical part, or the doctrine of the practical part, of love to the neighbor; since it is a perfect demonstration of the duty and saving efficacy of good works, in opposition to salvation by faith alone.

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The three precious stones we have now considered; and the three apostles we have connected with them, we regard as representing the different elements of love to the neighbor, but of that love as it exists in the internal man; the three that remain to be considered we understand to represent the corresponding elements of the same love as it exists in the external man. For the internal man is first regenerated, and the external after it and from it.

The last three precious stones that form the last three foundations of the wall of the holy city are the chrysoprasus the jacinth, and the amethyst. The first, as its name imports, is of a golden green, the color of the leek; the second is hyacinth, and the third is purple. Such at least are the colors usually assigned to them. According to the Authorized Version, neither the chrysoprasus nor the jacinth was in the breastplate of Aaron; and the amethyst, which is the last stone in the foundations of the wall of the holy city, was the ninth in the Urim and Thummin. In the Arcana, we have seen, the chrysoprasus is mentioned as the fourth stone, in place of the emerald. Its color is there said to be blue derived from red; and, as one of the second trine, it signifies the celestial love of good; and the amethyst is there said to be blue derived from white, and to signify spiritual good, or the spiritual love of good. The author there also says, in giving this signification of the amethyst, that the spiritual love of good which it signifies, is charity towards the neighbor; which is the meaning we understand it to have here. The jacinth is mentioned in a previous part of this book. Speaking of the great army, and of the four angels that were loosed in the great river Euphrates, John says, "And thus I saw the horses in the vision, and them that sat on them, having breastplates of fire, and of jacinth, and brimstone." Jacinth, we there learn, signifies, in a good sense, intelligence from spiritual love, but, in the opposite sense, intelligence from infernal love, which is self-derived intelligence. The jacinth in the wall of the holy city is intelligence from spiritual love, which is love to the neighbor. The first of the three stones is spiritual love; the jacinth is intelligence derived from it; and the last is the practical good or use that spiritual good produces by spiritual intelligence.

The three apostles whose names we connect with the last three atones are Thaddeus, Simon Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 420

We have taken the names of the twelve apostles from the Gospels, as appointed and sent forth by the Lord; but if there be any who cannot easily distinguish a personal from a representative character, they can in their own minds substitute for the name of Judas that of the successor to his office.

From the explanation we have offered, it will be seen that the two series of precious stones, in the breastplate of Aaron and in the foundations of the wall of the New Jerusalem, differ chiefly in this: In the first, the series of graces begins with the love of God; in the second, the series begins with the faith of Jesus Christ, as God in His Divine Humanity; and from faith in Him it ascends into love to Him; then, as in the first series, love to the Lord proceeds to manifest itself in love to the neighbor.

Having examined the foundations of the wall of the holy city, we now come to look at its gates.

21. And the twelve gates were twelve pearls; every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass. Jesus is the door of the sheep; and if any enter by this door he shall be saved; and the single pearl which formed each several gate of the New Jerusalem is the knowledge of Jesus. This knowledge is the pearl of great price. It is the most precious of all truths. It is the one universal truth which comprehends all others, as Jesus Himself is the Infinite and Eternal Truth, from which all truth is derived, and to which it returns. The knowledge of Jesus, which admits and introduces into the church, is not the intellectual knowledge which informs the mind only, but the knowledge which reforms it also. Or, if we regard the gate as the knowledge which admits into the city, we must remember that it is only by our entering in at the gate that we can be introduced into the city.

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22. The streets of the city of God lead to the temple of God; and yet John says of the holy city, New Jerusalem, And I saw no temple therein: for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it. The temple was a figure of the Lord. We are not to understand the absence of a temple to imply the absence of worship. There is worship in the church in heaven: there must also be worship in the church on earth. There was no temple in the holy Jerusalem, and yet there was a temple: the Lord Himself was its temple. This teaches us a great and beautiful truth. All true worship terminates in the Being who is worshiped. The Lord is both the Object and the author of worship. The very faculties which enable us to know and love Him are His gifts; the truths which we know are His revelation; the desires we feel are His inspiration. Nothing ascends up to heaven but that which has come down from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Father of light. True worship is not only from the Lord, but it is the Lord in us. Could we strip worship of all its outward circumstances and instrumental agencies, we should stand face to face with the Object of our worship, and see the Lord alone in the holy temple of His Divine Humanity.

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23. As the city had no temple but the Lord, it had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. The idea presented here is similar to that expressed in the previous verse. The New Church knows and acknowledges no light but the One true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world. He is the Sun of Righteousness, who arises with healing in His wings; and that Sun having risen, will no more go down, but will shine more and more unto the perfect day. The New Church is not to be without those intermediate lights that other churches have required to enlighten and direct them. The light of science, natural, moral, and spiritual, the light of reason and revelation, will shine in the New Jerusalem more brightly than in any former church or religious dispensation: but there will be this great difference--that light will not be regarded as having a separate existence or power of enlightenment; it will not be regarded as being independent of the light of revelation; but it will be seen and acknowledged to be only a derivation from the One Supreme and only true Light. For is not the book of Nature as well as the book of Revelation written by the finger of God? And is not the light of Nature from the same source as the light of Revelation? All light, all knowledge, all truth, has one source. It is men that separate the light of Nature and the light of Revelation, and set them up in opposition to each other. There is science that excommunicates religion, and there is religion that excommunicates science.

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24. When the light of nature and the light of Revelation are seen to be in harmony, religion enlightens science, and science enriches religion. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honor into it. The nations that are saved are those who are healed by the leaves of the tree of life (chap. xxii. 2). To be healed is to be saved. The word salvation means health. In our natural state we are diseased: when made spiritual we are restored to health. In our natural state we walk in the darkness either of ignorance or error; in a spiritual state me walk in the light of truth. The kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into the holy city, when the rulers of the intellectual world ascribe the glory and honor of their intellectual wealth and power to Him who bestows them. Viewed more abstractly, nations are the natural affections, and kings are the natural thoughts, or the natural will and understanding. The natural will and its affections are purified and saved by truth, which guides and directs them, as the light in which they walk. And when the natural understanding and its thoughts come under the influence of religion, all their acquisitions are sanctified by it, and are devoted to its service. And not only do the affections and thoughts bring their own glory and honor to exalt religion, but they acknowledge that all the glory and honor of truth is to be ascribed to Him who is its Author.

25. The gates through which the nations and kings of the earth enter into the city shall not be shut at all by day; for there shall be no night there. That which serves especially to introduce those who have a sincere affection for goodness and truth into the church or religion is the knowledge of God in Christ. This, we have seen, is the gate of pearl through which the nations and kings of the earth enter. In the New Jerusalem the gates are continually open. In ancient walled cities the gates were sometimes closed even during the day, but were always shut at night. In the holy city there is no night, and the gates are never shut during the day. In the New Church the grates stand wide open. The great truths respecting the Lords Divinity, and His sole power to save, are made so plain, and are placed before the mind in a form of such beautiful simplicity, as to invite the sincere and earnest truth-seeker to enter through it into the city, where the light shines in the full glory of Divine Revelation. The Sates are no longer closed by inscrutable mysteries, unnatural decrees, or impossible conditions.

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26. And they shall bring the glory and honor of the nations into it. It was said before that the nations that should be saved would walk in the light of the holy city, and that the kings should bring their glory and honor into it. What was said of the kings is now said also of the nations. The nations, we have seen, represent the upright Gentiles, or those who are in simple good. The Gentiles, or nations, mentioned in the 24th verse, are those who have good natural dispositions; those now spoken of are those who do good works. Religion progresses in this way. First, the good disposition leads to the acquisition of truth, and then the purifying and enlightening influence of truth leads to the doing of good. Thus we first have nations, then kings, and after them nations again. When good in the will has passed through truth in the understanding into good in the life, the Christian disciple brings the glory of his truth and the honor of his goodness into the church to enrich and exalt it.

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27. But the Christian disciple not only delights to do good, but he strives to shun evil. He knows that there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lambs book of life. Whether we speak of evil entering into the church or into the Christian mind, it amounts to the same. Whatever evil or error exists in the church has entered through the human mind. But the exclusion from the church of these opposing elements is given here as a promise. There shall in no wise enter into it either defilement, or abomination, or lying. In regard to the general church, this, no doubt, conveys a promise that the New Dispensation will never become corrupted, as all previous dispensations have. Individuals may fall into error or evil; but the general body of the church will remain sound. Error and evil are too clearly seen to admit of their ever finding a refuge within its holy precincts. In regard to its individual members, this promise does not exclude the idea of the presence of natural and hereditary infirmities. These are the common inheritance of our fallen race; and there is no reason to expect that they will ever die out of our common nature. Cut these involuntary evils will never, in the church, come to be permitted sins; for no form of error will ever exist under which evil can find shelter. When the light of truth shines clearly and continuously, there is no concealment for deeds of darkness. The church can preserve her doctrines pure and undefiled, her practice free from iniquity and dissimulation. But the greatest advantage of the light is, that it enables the members of the church to judge themselves, so that nothing that defileth may lurk unknown in the heart, nor anything that worketh abomination and a lie may enter into the life. None will enter but those who are written in the Lambs book of life. Love to the Lord and the neighbor are the principles of spiritual and eternal life. The Gospel, as well as the law and the prophets, hangs upon them. The Lords work in the world had no other end than to make men love Him above all things, and each other as themselves. And as love and charity are the only principles that enter into the minds of the regenerate, those who love God and the neighbor are the only persons who are true members of the New Jerusalem on earth; and no others can enter into the church in heaven.

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CHAPTER XXII.

1. THE angel who showed John the holy Jerusalem, now turns his attention to another sight connected with it. And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. As the holy city comes down from God out of heaven, so do the means of its support. The church on earth not only comes down from, but lives in connection with, the church in heaven: men with angels, and through angels with the Lord. In the church, as in nature, sustentation is perpetual creation. What the Word creates, the Spirit fills with life.

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 428

2. Besides the river of the water of life flowing out from the throne, In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. The tree of life was first planted on earth by the hand of God, and was in the midst of the garden of Eden. Now it is in the midst of the street of the New Jerusalem. In the last church, as in the first, the Lord as Love, and therefore love to the Lord, is the center and the life of all its principles. Love is life. The Lord is Life itself, because He is Love itself; as He is Light itself, because He is Wisdom itself. Love to Him, which is His love in us, is spiritual and heavenly life. "God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him" (1 John iv. 16). As love is the highest grace of religion, it ought to be the inmost in every human heart. When it is inmost, it diffuses itself through the whole mind, filling all its other graces with its own sweet life, and transforming them to its own beautiful image. It was feeding the intellect with the fruit of the tree of knowledge, instead of feeding the heart with the fruit of the tree of life, that caused the Fall and expelled man from Eden, and that closed against him the gate of Paradise, and made him a wanderer and even a fugitive and a vagabond upon the earth, until the second Adam had bruised the serpents head, and opened again the way to the tree of life. This was effected by the Lords great work of redemption, which gave to every one the power to return and live. But those who had departed so far from the perfect life, could only by degrees be brought back to it again. Much has been done through the church of the First Advent to restore to man his lost estate, and still more will be done by the church of the Second Advent, to give him possession of his lost inheritance. The gates are opened, never again to be shut; the tree of life is restored, never again to be withdrawn. Yet the tree and its place are changed, answering no doubt to the changed condition of man. It is not now in a garden, but in a street; and it now not only yields fruit for food, but produces leaves for medicine. How expressive of the changed condition and state of the human race! Civilization has taken the place of nature, and sin of innocence. Yet civilization is not necessarily opposed to nature, as sin is to innocence.

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The tree of life, watered by the river of water of life, bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. Fruit is the trees primary use, for the sake of which it exists; and every tree is known by its fruit. Righteousness is the fruit of the tree of life. Goodness is the fruit of love. We cannot think of love separate from loving, which is the useful and beneficent activity of love. Love is the highest happiness; but it is also the highest duty. Love is the fulfilling of the law; but the law is fulfilled in a loving performance of its requirements. "For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments" (1 John v. 3).

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Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 431

But the tree of life produced, besides fruit, something not less necessary for us in our present state. We need to be cured as well as to be fed. And, indeed, we need to be cured that we may be fed. We cannot be nourished while a deadly disease is undermining our constitution. Love cannot be strengthened while the power of hatred is unbroken. Good cannot increase while the power of evil remains in its strength. But the persistence of evil is incompatible, not only with the progress, but with the very existence of goodness. When the tree of life is planted in the heart, it will produce its health-giving leaves as well as its life-sustaining fruit. And as the leaves come before the fruit, so will the remedial virtues of the tree be experienced before its fruit is ready for our use. For we are here speaking, not of the nominal, but of the real Christian; therefore not of the religious knowledge acquired from without, but of the spiritual truth put forth from within; not of that which is gathered into the memory, but of that which grows out of the heart. There only can the tree of life take root; thence only can its healing leaves and nourishing fruit proceed. The leaves put forth by the tree of life are therefore the truths that come forth from the will into the intellect, or from the affection into the thoughts; and these truths are not facts but perceptions; they are spiritual truths rationally apprehended.

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3, 4. Death, and sorrow, and disease being removed, we have the Divine promise that there shall be no more curse. Cursing is directly opposed to blessing. In the 14th verse it is said, "Blessed are they that do His commandments." The curse is upon them that do not keep His commandments. This is the teaching of the Word, which is found summed up in the solemn words of Moses to the sons of Israel: "Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse: a blessing, if ye obey the commandments of the Lord your God; and a curse, if ye will not obey" (Deut. xi. 26). There is no difference between the teaching of the Old and of the New Testament on this subject; but there is a difference in the understanding of the Old Testament church and of the New respecting the origin and nature of the curse and the blessing. The Jews understood these to be judicial, outward, and temporal. Christians, although inclined to lean to the Jewish idea, have changed temporal into eternal. The blessing and the cursing have been understood as reward and punishment. The light of the New Jerusalem gives a deeper insight into this important subject. It clearly shows that God never bestows mere outward reward, never inflicts outward punishment.

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In the New Jerusalem there shall be no more curse; but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and His servants shall serve Him; and they shall see His face; and His name shall be in their foreheads. The Divine throne is opposed to the curse, or cursed thing. Heaven is Gods throne, and it is established upon justice and judgment. Wherever there are justice and judgment, whether in the church or in the hearts and minds of individual men, there is the habitation of His throne (Ps. lxxxix. 44). When the Lord is enthroned upon justice and judgment in the heart and mind, the reign of evil and falsehood is ended, and the reign of goodness and truth is at least begun. That is the curse; this is the blessing. When the curse of disobedience is removed, the Lords throne is established, and His servants serve Him. His servants? We read of two as occupying the throne, and yet they are spoken of as one. This is another instance of the teaching of the Word--that the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are but one Divine Person, consisting of Divinity and Humanity, these being one Christ, as soul and body are one man.

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5. Where the servants of the Lord see His face, which, on the mount, shone as the sun (Matt. xvii. 2), there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord, God giveth them light. Similar statements occur in the previous chapter, but in another order, form, and connection. We may suppose they would not so soon have been repeated but for a sufficient reason, one, therefore, from which we may derive instruction. The previous chapter relates to those who have not yet entered, or are only entering into the holy city--the nations and kings who are to bring their glory and honor into it; the present chapter relates to those who are actually in it--the servants of the Lord, who serve Him. Those who are only entering into the church, and those who have entered, see things differently.

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6-9. And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things which must shortly be done.

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After affirming the truth and faithfulness of his sayings, Johns guide and instructor adds: "And the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show unto His servants the things that must shortly be done." The things to be done include the events of the whole apocalyptic prophecy; and these, under a comprehensive view, are three--laying open the state of the church, bringing it to an end by a general judgment, and instituting a new church in its stead. Inseparably connected with these is the Coming of the Lord. He comes by visitation, by judgment, and by restoration. In the prophecies of the Old Testament these are found in constant succession and connection, as they are in the prophecies of the New, and most fully in this prophecy of St. John. Therefore the Lord God of the holy prophets sent His angel to show John these things.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 437

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 438

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 439

But although his wisdom and perception were angelic, they were far from being Divine. For although the wisdom of angels is so ineffable to men that it would seem to them to be Divine, and they would fall down and worship before it, as John did to the angel, yet angels themselves see their infinite distance from God, and know still more perfectly than men that they are as nothing before Him. They know that there is no proportion between the finite and the infinite; and that the highest, angelic wisdom is nothing more than a finite apprehension of infinite wisdom, as they themselves are finite images of the Infinite. Angels have, no doubt, a clearer perception of their infinite distance from the All-wise and All-good, and therefore a deeper sense of their own imperfection. They see and feel, too, more truly than men, not only that all their wisdom and goodness is from God, and that they are dependent upon Him for every gift and every enjoyment. No wonder, then, that when John fell down to worship the celestial being more dazzlingly beautiful than the sights that had filled the seers soul with wonder and admiration, the angel should shrink with holy fear from the offered Divine honor, and exclaim, "See thou do it not." For however superior angels may be in comparison with men, in this they are alike: angels and men are fellow-servants; they are brethren; they are both subject to the same laws of life. They have one Divine Master, one heavenly Father, whose will they are both alike required to obey. That Master and Father is the Lord Jesus Christ, the God whom the angel directed John to worship, He whom all the angels worship.

10. The angel having showed John the blessedness of keeping the sayings of the prophecy, now said unto him, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand. When Daniel had seen a vision, which received its fulfillment at the time of the Lords First Advent, it was said unto him, "Shut up the vision; for it shall he for many days" (viii. 26).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 440

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 441

11. The time which the angel declared to be at hand is the time of the Lords Coming, and of the Last Judgment. Judgment takes place when the church has so far declined as to be no longer able to meet the spiritual requirements of the human race. Churches, like individuals, may be carried off by disease, or pass away by the natural process of decay, or come to their end by the combined agency of both. To churches, as to individuals, it is appointed--after death the judgment. But to them also is the promise of a resurrection from the dead. The New Dispensation promised in the Revelation is the previous Dispensation risen into new and higher life, more spiritual, more youthful, and more vigorous. This is the resurrection unto life. But there is also a resurrection unto death. And as there is a resurrection, so is there a judgment, unto life and unto death. At the time of the end, all who have lived under the dispensation are judged; some to everlasting life, end some to shame and everlasting contempt (Dan. xii. 2). The state of all is then fixed for ever. Then is realized the truth, He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still. Solemn is the thought that the state of the soul, whatever it has been made in this world, in the other world remains unchanged to all eternity. It is not fixed by a Divine decree. Divine judgment is not a formal sentence of acquittal or guilt, and of reward or punishment, as in human judicature. It is the removal, on the one hand, of the last covering, and, on the other, the stripping off of the last disguise, so that the soul stands forth in its unjustness and filthiness, or in its righteousness and holiness; and is borne down into hell by the irresistible tendency of its evil and falsity, or carried up into heaven by the irrepressible buoyancy of its goodness and truth. "Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand. And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament; and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever" (Dan. xii. 10, 3). The discrimination and separation of the good and the evil, the true and the false, in the other world, have the effect of discriminating and separating good and evil, truth and falsity, in the natural world; so that injustice and impurity, righteousness and holiness, are seen in their true character. Unchangeable in their nature, and opposite in their character, as heaven and hell, yet good and evil, truth and falsity, are imperfectly differenced, and are even in some instances confounded, when error and evil prevail. Judgment removes the causes of this judicial blindness.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 442

12. The certainty of judgment is one of the greatest deterrents from evil and incentives to goodness. And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be. Quickly is certainly. "Thinkest thou, O man, that thou shalt escape the judgment of God, who will render to every man according to his deeds" (Rom. ii. 3, 6). The present assurance is, however, rather a promise than a threat; and is calculated to inspire hope rather than to excite fear. "My reward is with Me." In the sublimely expressed promise of the Lords First Coming, this is announced under the encouraging address, "Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God.... Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom" (Isa. xl. 1, 10, 11). In the sixty-second chapter, the church is addressed in the same comforting language. "Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the Lord: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken." To "give every man according as his work shall be," is no doubt a form of expressing judgment on the evil and the good. But the preceding words, "My reward is with Me," show that in the present case it is intended only as a promise to the righteous, as it evidently is in the other instances in which it is used. But what comfort and encouragement is it for the righteous that when the Lord comes to them by death or judgment, His reward is with Him, to give every man according as his work shall be? We are so accustomed to think of reward as an outward recompense, that we may have some difficulty in realizing its true nature, or appreciating its true value. We cannot be too deeply impressed with the conviction that the Christians reward is an inward possession, and that the Lord bestows the highest possible reward when He gives Himself.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 443

13. To those who receive the Lord into the heart as goodness, and manifest that goodness in the life, the Lord is Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. In His own person, Jesus is the First as the Eternal Divinity, and the Last as the Divine Humanity,--as the Creator and the Redeemer. But in heaven, in the church, and in the human mind, He is the first and the last as the Author and Finisher of their faith. Every good work is begun and ended in Him. He inspires the motive, enlightens the judgment, and directs the life. He is the Alpha and the Omega, as the origin and end of love in the heart: He is the beginning and the end as the origin and end of wisdom in the mind: and He is the first and the last as the origin and end of good in the life. Love, wisdom, and use, or charity, faith, and works, are the three elements which constitute religion, and which therefore constitute the church and heaven.

14. While these three elements constitute religion, peculiar importance is attached to works. Blessed are they that do His commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. This is the teaching of the Gospel. To the question, "What good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?" the Lord answered, "If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments" (Matt. xix. 16, 17).

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 444

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 445

15. How different is the state, and how different must be the experience, of those who are without. For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. The difference between those who are within and those who are without is the difference between keeping and not keeping the commandments. These are among the evils forbidden in the ten commandments. They are included, with one exception, in the list in the previous chapter (ver. 8), of those classes of evil-doers who shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. No mention is there made of dogs, Which here occupy the first place. Dogs are frequently, though not always, spoken of in Scripture in an evil sense. We are not to give that which is holy unto the dogs (Matt. vii. 6); yet the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters table (Matt. xv. 27); and the very uncleanness of their appetite (2 Peter ii. 25) makes them lick and cleanse the sores of Lazarus (Luke xvi. 21). The dog is an emblem of the lower desires and appetites of our animal nature. Those who live to the gratification of their senses, especially of the grosser appetites, are the dogs that are without.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 446

16. We now come to the peroration of this sublime discourse, in which the deepest mysteries are revealed. I Jesus have sent Mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the rock and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. Jesus is the beginning and the end of this prophecy. He it was who sent the angel to show John these things, and to testify unto him these things in the churches.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 447

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 448

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 449

It was because Jesus thought as a Divine man, that He never spoke of Himself as the son of Mary, and did not acknowledge Himself to be the son of David. The humanity which He inherited from Mary, and which was of the seed of David, was but a temporary habitation, a tabernacle that was to be taken down, a temple that was to be destroyed. The Humanity in which Jesus arose from the sepulcher was no longer material. It was spiritual, nay, Divine. In that Humanity John beheld Jesus in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks, and, overwhelmed by the glory of His person, fell down at His feet as dead. Can such a one be either the son of Mary or the son of David?

Yet Jesus here declares Himself to be the offspring of David. The Lord calls Himself the offspring, and even the root, of David, not according to the letter, but according to the spirit. David was a type of the Lord. He represented Him as a king. The Lord is a king as the ruler of His kingdom, in heaven, in the church, and in the hearts of men. It is in relation to His kingdom that Jesus now speaks of Himself as the root and the offspring of David. His love is the root of David, His truth is the offspring of David. When the Lords love rules in the heart, and His truth rules in the understanding, Jesus is to us the root and the offspring of David. Love is the root of truth; truth is the offspring of love. Or what is the same, charity is the root of faith; faith is the offspring of charity.

Jesus, the root and the offspring of David, is also the bright and morning star. The star of Jacob and the star of Bethlehem both point to Jesus as the light of knowledge that precedes the light of intelligence and wisdom. The bright and morning star that heralds the sun and ushers in the dawn is highly appropriate here, where the New Dispensation in its beginning is the subject. It is to this event that Peter alludes when he says, "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in your hearts" (2 Peter i. 19). The beginning of the new life in the believer is to him a new dispensation of light and love.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 450

17. The message of Jews by His angel is followed by this response and exhortation: And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. The Spirit and the bride signify heaven and the church. The Spirit speaks in and through those in whom He dwells. "The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought" (Rom. viii. 16, 26). Angels and men are alike indebted to the Spirit for every holy desire expressed in prayer. The bride, the Lambs wife, would not herself pray for the Coming of the Bridegroom, unless His indwelling Spirit gave her the desire to meet her beloved. Yet the Spirit and the bride are both named, not only to express the united prayer of the church in heaven and the church on earth, but also to express the united prayer of the understanding and the heart of every member of the church, militant and triumphant. The Spirit is the spirit of truth in the mind, and the bride is the affection of love in the heart. Where these are, the Lords testimony finds a faithful witness, and the promise of His Coming an earnest and fervent response. These spontaneously pray for the Lords Coming; for from the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. There is another faculty and another class who are distinguished by it, that are exhorted to respond. "Let him that heareth say, Come." To hear is to hearken and obey. But to hear and repeat what others say, is to receive and act on the authority of others rather than from their own conviction. This is characteristic of persons of an external character. In its application to one person it refers to the external or natural mind, which hears and responds to the spiritual mind. To the inner man belong will and understanding, or thought and affection; and to the outer man speech and action.

But there is another important element in this operation. It is not only necessary for us to pray that the Lord will come to us, we must also go to Him. While the virgins waited for the Bridegroom, a cry was raised at midnight, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet Him." So in the present case: while the Spirit and the bride say, Come, and he that heareth is exhorted to say, Come; he that is athirst is invited to come, and whosoever will is assured that he may take of the water of life freely.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 451

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 452

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 453

18, 19. The invitation to take the water of life freely is followed by a caution. For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book. If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. This is commonly understood to be a solemn warning against adding to or taking away from the completed canon of Scripture. The same warning was given by Moses (Deut. iv. 2, xii. 35). The testification in the Apocalypse refers, therefore, only to the Apocalypse itself. It is possible that from interested motives men may interpolate, mutilate, and corrupt the sacred text; and some are known to have done so. Those who are guilty of such a crime incur a heavy responsibility. "Every word of God is pure: add thou not unto His words, lest He reprove thee" (Prov. xxx. 5, 6). Critics may, from errors of judgment, do injury to the text of Scripture; but these are sins of ignorance, and incur no guilt. But in the warnings me have mentioned, the sacred writers refer, not so much to the preservation of the sacred text, as to the maintenance of the purity of its truths and the authority of its teaching. The Word has suffered much, and no part of it more than the Book of Revelation, from the labors of natural-minded expositors. The function of the expositor is to bring out the meaning of the sacred text. No expositor can do this fully, and only one inspired can do it faultlessly. Every one must to some extent both add and take away; he must add something of his own, and take away something of the Lords. Such a result is inseparable from the moral and intellectual imperfections of the best and wisest commentators. But there are others who, actuated by intellectual pride, or party spirit, or theological zeal, follow a vicious method, or exercise their own ingenuity, to bring out a meaning which is favorable to their own ideas. Such persons study the Word, not so much to learn its teaching as to confirm their own.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 454

These, however, are hut superficial and partial applications of the passage we are now considering. They include only certain classes and a comparatively limited number of men. Jesus testifies unto every one that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book. To every hearer and reader of the words, therefore, the warning is given. The things of this book, which are to be preserved in their simplicity and integrity, are the great truths and principles which relate to our Christian faith and practice. Two great truths run like threads of gold through the whole texture of this prophecy. The Lord and the Law, or faith in Jesus Christ as the God and Savior of men, and a life according to His commandments, appear in it in ever-varying forms. These are the two essential principles of the Christian religion, as in a less developed state they had been of the Jewish, and of every other, since the world began, for they are the pillars of the church and of heaven. They are the two commandments on which hang all the law and the prophets. To the Christian, as to the Jew, there is but one Lord. Israels God is our God. That God is Jesus Christ. To love Him above all things, and to love our neighbor as ourselves, is indeed the fulfilling of the law and the prophets. These two commandments, including the knowledge of who the Lord is, and who is our neighbor, are the sum of all religion; for they are the sum of all the laws of the spiritual life.

How do men add to and take away from the words of the prophecy of this book, in regard to its teaching on these two great subjects? How did the Jews act in respect to the same warning? So scrupulously did the Jewish scribes guard the text of their Scriptures, that they counted the words and letters of every book. Yet, while thus careful of the words, that they might obey the command neither to add nor take away, they so entirely neglected the spirit, that they made the commandments of none effect by their traditions. They took away from the law the force of its essential requirements, and burdened it with an oppressive lend of useless ceremonials. With a laudable reverence and care for the sacred text, Christians, it is to be feared, have not been sufficiently careful to preserve the purity of its sacred truths. To these they have added, and from these they have taken away. According to the teaching of the Word, the Lord Jesus Christ is the Creator and Redeemer of the world. Men have added to this simple and sublime truth by teaching the doctrine of a Tri-personal God, adding two other Persons to Him in whom dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col. ii. 9). Some have also taken away from this truth by denying the Lords Divinity, regarding Him as an incarnate angel or a mere man.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 455

Although it is not easy to see how the adding to or taking away from the words of this book, or of the Scriptures generally, should be so great a crime and deserve so severe a punishment, it is easy to perceive how great and fatal an evil it is willfully to depart, in faith and practice, from the essential truths which the book reveals, or which it presents anew to the church. The warning which is here given is addressed to the men of the church in our time as much as to those of a past age--"to every man that heareth." Not merely to those who hear, but to those who understand, and even to those who consent to what they hear and understand, is the warning given. To those who add to the words of the book, plagues are to be added; from those who take from them, their part is to be taken from the book of life. The plagues that are written in this book are, as we have seen, not the infliction of outward punishments, but the manifestation of inward states. And removal from the book of life is the result of the removal of the principles of the book of life from the mind and heart. No one is ever blotted out of the book of life till he has blotted its contents from the book of his own life. The whole contents of the book of life are comprehended in the two commandments of love to the Lord and love to the neighbor. When these are taken away out of the heart, our part is taken away out of the book of life. This fact is not less strikingly taught if we adopt what critics generally regard as the true reading--God shall take away his part from the tree of life.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 456

But there are two other calamities which befall those who take away from the words of the book. God takes away their part out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. The holy city is the church, the things written in this book are the truths of the church. When we speak of the church we mean the principles of the church; and when we speak of the truths of the church we man, not matters of ecclesiastical belief, hut matters of vital faith and practice. We are only in the church so far as the church is in us; only in its truths so far as they build us up into habitations of the living God. All these possessions may be lost, and are taken away from us by the very act of our taking away from the faith of Jesus Christ and the life of love and charity. Two dangers attend those who are of the New Church. Allowed to enter rationally into the truths of faith, they are in danger of being the victims of intellectual pride. And as others have erred in keeping the understanding in subjection to faith, so they are liable to run into the opposite error of keeping faith in subjection to the understanding, not duly reflecting that the Word is yea, yea; nay, nay; and that whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Thus are they in danger of adding to the pure and perfect truth of God. Required to keep the commandments as a condition, or rather as a means, of salvation, they are in danger of regarding the reward to be, not of grace but of work; thus their righteousness becomes meritorious: and merit is a thief that robs the Lord of His glory and deprives man of his salvation. How carefully, then, ought we to guard against these great evils!

20. Again and finally, He which testifieth these things saith, Surely, I come quickly. To this there is a response. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. For Jesus speaks as the Bridegroom coming to the church as His Bride. The Lord expresses His will, the church her desire. The marriage of the Lamb has come; His wife hath made herself ready. Obstacles to their union have been gradually removed. Preparations for the nuptials are advancing. The Lord cannot make either His general or His individual Advent, except so far as there is a general or individual desire and preparation for His Coming.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 457

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 458

In the particular sense, which speaks of the Coming of the Lord to the regenerate, by His descent into their hearts and minds, we are to regard the Bridegroom and the bride as the graces of love and faith, the union of which constitutes the heavenly marriage. Love within and faith without is the first condition in relation to each other. Love comes directly through the inmost of the mind; faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. As love in the heart is received and reciprocated by faith in the understanding, they gradually approach each other until they become united. Their union in the Christian mind is the truest covenant, and the beginning and ground of the Christians union with the Lord, and of the Lords union with the church. The whole is made up of its parts, and is such as the parts are. The church consists of love and wisdom, goodness and truth, charity and faith, not as abstract principles, but as graces of the heart and mind, and virtues of the Christian life. Of those whoso minds are enriched with the graces, and whose lives are adorned with the virtues, of the religion of the Lord Jesus Christ, the church as a collective body consists, considered as it appears before God, whatever appearance it may present before men. The human mind is, therefore, the scene and the subject of all the transactions recorded in this book; and not the least of the marriage of the Lamb. Here it is that He testifies, "Surely I come quickly;" and here the response is given, "Even so, come Lord Jesus." Love speaks within the heart, and the faith of love answers from the understanding.

21. With this blessed state of reciprocated love, which forms tire essential condition of, and preparation for, the heavenly marriage, in which heaven consists, and from which its exalted uses and ineffable beatitudes spring, the apocalyptic vision closes. The benediction which is added, The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all, is an effect as well as a conclusion a deduction as well as a termination. The grace of our Lord is not His favor only but His love. It is His Divine Love brought near to us in His Divine Humanity. It is the grace of which the Psalmist speaks, when treating prophetically of the Lords incarnation and His marriage with the church: "Thou art fairer than the children of men; grace is poured into Thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever" (xlv. 3). The Son of Man, yet fairer than the children of men; the recipient of Divine grace, yet its true Source; the ever-blessed, yet the ever-blessing; Jesus is the pattern of perfection, the Giver of good, the Dispenser of happiness. In Him all the Divine perfections dwell, because in Him all Divinity dwells, and dwells in a perfected, and therefore, Divine Humanity, in which He is Immanuel, God with us.

Commentary on the Revelation of St. John       "Bruce, William"       1877        p. 459

MUIR AND PATERSON, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH.