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277 lines
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<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [Revelation XV].</TITLE>
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"This site is for those friends and family members who may or may not know Our Lord Jesus Christ, and if not, they may come to know Our Lord through His Prophets."> <meta name="author" content="Brian Duncalfe">
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<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
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on the Whole Bible</h1>
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<h3><a href="http://www.biblesnet.com" target="_blank">Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page</a>
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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[<A HREF="MHC66014.HTM">Previous</A>]
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<TD ALIGN="RIGHT" VALIGN="TOP">
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1721)
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</TD></TR></TABLE>
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<!-- (Begin Body) -->
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<CENTER>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>R E V E L A T I O N.</B></FONT>
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<BR>
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<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XV.</FONT>
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<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
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</CENTER>
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<FONT SIZE=-1>
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<P>
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Hitherto, according to the judgment of very eminent expositors, God had
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represented to his servant, John,
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I. The state of the church under the pagan powers, in the six seals
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opened; and then,
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II. The state of the church under the papal powers, in the vision of
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the six trumpets that began to sound upon the opening of the seventh
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seal: and then is inserted.
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III. A more general and brief account of the past, present, and future
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state of the church, in the little book, &c. He now proceeds,
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IV. To show him how antichrist should be destroyed, by what steps that
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destruction should be accomplished, in the vision of the seven vials.
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This chapter contains an awful introduction or preparation for the
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pouring out of the vials, in which we have,
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1. A sight of those angels in heaven who were to have the execution of
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this great work, and with what acclamations of joy the heavenly hosts
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applauded the great design,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+15:1-4">ver. 1-4</A>.
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2. A sight of these angels coming out of heaven to receive those vials
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which they were to pour out, and the great commotions this caused in
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the world,
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+15:5-8">ver. 5</A>,
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&c.</P>
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</FONT>
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<A NAME="Re15_1"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re15_2"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re15_3"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re15_4"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Seven Vials.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BOTTOM><FONT SIZE=-1>A. D.</FONT> 95.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven
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angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up
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the wrath of God.
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2 And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and
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them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his
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image, and over his mark, <I>and</I> over the number of his name,
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stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
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3 And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the
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song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous <I>are</I> thy works,
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Lord God Almighty; just and true <I>are</I> thy ways, thou King of
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saints.
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4 Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for
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<I>thou</I> only <I>art</I> holy: for all nations shall come and worship
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before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Here we have the preparation of matters for the pouring out of the
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seven vials, which was committed to seven angels; and observe how these
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angels appeared to the apostle--<I>in heaven;</I> it was in a wonderful
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manner, and that upon account,
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1. Of the work they had to do, which was to finish the destruction of
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antichrist. God was now about to pour out his seven last plagues upon
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that interest; and, as the measure of Babylon's sins was filled up,
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they should now find the full measure of his vindictive wrath.
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2. The spectators and witnesses of this their commission: all <I>that
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had gotten the victory over the beast,</I> &c. These stood on a <I>sea
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of glass,</I> representing this world, as some think, a brittle thing,
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that shall be broken to pieces; or, as others, the gospel covenant,
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alluding to the brazen sea in the temple, in which the priests were to
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wash (the faithful servants of God stand upon the foundation of the
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righteousness of Christ); or, as others, <I>the Red Sea,</I> that stood
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as it were congealed while the Israelites went through; and, the pillar
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of fire reflecting light upon the waters, they would seem to have fire
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mingled with them; and this to show that the fire of God's wrath
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against Pharaoh and his horses should dissolve the congealed waters,
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and destroy them thereby, to which there seems to be an allusion by
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their <I>singing the song of Moses,</I> in which,
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(1.) They extol the greatness of God's works, and the justice and truth
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of his ways, both in delivering his people and destroying their
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enemies. They rejoiced in hope, and the near prospect they had of
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this, though it was not yet accomplished.
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(2.) They call upon all nations to render unto God the fear, glory, and
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worship, due to such a discovery of his truth and justice: <I>Who shall
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not fear thee?</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+15:4"><I>v.</I> 4</A>.</P>
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<A NAME="Re15_5"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re15_6"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re15_7"> </A>
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<A NAME="Re15_8"> </A>
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<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
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<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
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<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Seven Vials.</I></FONT></TD>
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<TD ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BOTTOM><FONT SIZE=-1>A. D.</FONT> 95.</TD></TR>
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<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
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</TABLE>
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<P>
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<FONT SIZE=+1>5 And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the
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tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
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6 And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven
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plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their
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breasts girded with golden girdles.
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7 And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven
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golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and
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ever.
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8 And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God,
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and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple,
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till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.
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</FONT></P>
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<P>
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Observe, I. How these angels appeared--coming out of heaven to execute
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their commission: <I>The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in
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heaven was opened,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+15:5"><I>v.</I> 5</A>.
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Here is an allusion to the holiest of all the tabernacle and temple,
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where was <I>the mercy-seat, covering the ark of the testimony,</I>
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where the high priest made intercession, and God communed with his
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people, and heard their prayers. Now by this, as it is here mentioned,
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we may understand,
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1. That, in the judgments God was now about to execute upon the
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antichristian interest, he was fulfilling the prophecies and promises
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of his word and covenant, which were there always before him, and of
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which he was ever mindful.
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2. That in this work he was answering the prayers of the people, which
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were offered to him by their great high priest.
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3. That he was herein avenging the quarrel of his own Son, and our
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Saviour Jesus Christ, whose offices and authority had been usurped, his
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name dishonoured, and the great designs of his death opposed, by
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antichrist and his adherents.
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4. That he was opening a wider door of liberty for his people to
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worship him in numerous solemn assemblies, without the fear of their
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enemies.</P>
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<P>
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II. How they were equipped and prepared for their work. Observe,
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1. Their array: They were <I>clothed with pure and white linen,</I>
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and had <I>their breasts girded with golden girdles,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+15:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>.
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This was the habit of the high priests when they went in to enquire of
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God, and came out with an answer from him. This showed that these
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angels were acting in all things under the divine appointment and
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direction, and that they were going to prepare a sacrifice to the Lord,
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<I>called the supper of the great God,</I>
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<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+19:17"><I>ch.</I> xix. 17</A>.
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The angels are the ministers of divine justice, and they do every thing
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in a pure and holy manner.
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2. Their artillery, what it was, and whence they received it; their
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artillery, by which they were to do this great execution, was <I>seven
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vials filled with the wrath of God;</I> they were armed with the wrath
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of God against his enemies. The meanest creature, when it comes armed
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with the anger of God, will be too hard for any man in the world; but
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much more an angel of God. This wrath of God was not to be poured out
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all at once, but was divided into seven parts, which should
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successively fall upon the antichristian party. Now from whom did they
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receive these vials? From one of the four living creatures, one of the
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ministers of the true church, that is, in answer to the prayers of the
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ministers and people of God, and to avenge their cause, in which the
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angels are willingly employed.</P>
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<P>
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III. The impressions these things made upon all who stood near the
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temple: they were all, as it were, wrapt up in clouds of smoke, which
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filled the temple, from the glorious and powerful presence of God; so
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that <I>no man was able to enter into the temple,</I> till the work was
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finished. The interests of antichrist were so interwoven with the civil
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interests of the nations that he could not be destroyed without giving
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a great shock to all the world; and the people of God would have but
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little rest and leisure to assemble themselves before him, while this
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great work was a doing. For the present, their sabbaths would be
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interrupted, ordinances of public worship intermitted, and all thrown
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into a general confusion. God himself was now preaching to the church
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and to all the world, by terrible things in righteousness; but, when
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this work was done, then the churches would have rest, the temple would
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be opened, and the solemn assemblies gathered, edified, and multiplied.
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The greatest deliverances of the church are brought about by awful and
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astonishing steps of Providence.</P>
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<!-- (End Body) -->
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<HR>
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<TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP">
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[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
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[<A HREF="MHC66014.HTM">Previous</A>]
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[<A HREF="MHC66016.HTM">Next</A>]<BR>
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<TD ALIGN="RIGHT" VALIGN="TOP">
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Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1721)
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<!--Matthew_Henry's_Commentary_on_the_Whole_Bible:_Revelation_XV.--><a href="http://www.biblesnet.com" target="_blank"><b>Back to Bibles Net . Com - Online Christian Library </b></a><br>
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