mh_parser/vol_split/66 - Revelation/Chapter 19.xml

<div2 id="Rev.xx" n="xx" next="Rev.xxi" prev="Rev.xix" progress="99.03%" title="Chapter XIX">
<h2 id="Rev.xx-p0.1">R E V E L A T I O N.</h2>
<h3 id="Rev.xx-p0.2">CHAP. XIX.</h3>
<p class="intro" id="Rev.xx-p1">In this chapter we have, I. A further account of
the triumphant song of angels and saints for the fall of Babylon,
<scripRef id="Rev.xx-p1.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.1-Rev.19.4" parsed="|Rev|19|1|19|4" passage="Re 19:1-4">ver. 1-4</scripRef>. II. The marriage
between Christ and the church proclaimed and perfected, <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p1.2" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.5-Rev.19.10" parsed="|Rev|19|5|19|10" passage="Re 19:5-10">ver. 5-10</scripRef>. III. Another warlike
expedition of the glorious head and husband of the church, with the
success of it, <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p1.3" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.10-Rev.19.21" parsed="|Rev|19|10|19|21" passage="Re 19:10-21">ver. 10</scripRef>,
&amp;c.</p>
<scripCom id="Rev.xx-p1.4" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19" parsed="|Rev|19|0|0|0" passage="Re 19" type="Commentary"/>
<scripCom id="Rev.xx-p1.5" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.1-Rev.19.4" parsed="|Rev|19|1|19|4" passage="Re 19:1-4" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Rev.19.1-Rev.19.4">
<h4 id="Rev.xx-p1.6">The Triumph of the Saints. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xx-p1.7">a.
d.</span> 95.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Rev.xx-p2">1 And after these things I heard a great voice
of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory,
and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God:   2 For true and
righteous <i>are</i> 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.   3 And again
they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever.
  4 And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell
down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen;
Alleluia.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p3">The fall of Babylon being fixed, finished,
and declared to be irrecoverable in the foregoing chapter, this
begins with a holy triumph over her, in pursuance of the order
given forth: <i>Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and you holy
apostles and prophets,</i> <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p3.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.18.20" parsed="|Rev|18|20|0|0" passage="Re 18:20"><i>ch.</i>
xviii. 20</scripRef>. They now gladly answer the call; and here you
have, 1. The form of their thanksgiving, in that heavenly and most
comprehensive word, <i>Alleluia, praise you the Lord:</i> with this
they begin, with this they go on, and with this they end (<scripRef id="Rev.xx-p3.2" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.4" parsed="|Rev|19|4|0|0" passage="Re 19:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>); their prayers are now
turned into praises, their hosannas end in halleluias. 2. The
matter of their thanksgiving: they praise him for the truth of his
word, and the righteousness of his providential conduct, especially
in this great event—the ruin of Babylon, which had been a mother,
nurse, and nest of idolatry, lewdness, and cruelty (<scripRef id="Rev.xx-p3.3" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.2" parsed="|Rev|19|2|0|0" passage="Re 19:2"><i>v.</i> 2</scripRef>), for which signal example
of divine justice they ascribe <i>salvation, and glory, and honour,
and power, unto our God.</i> 3. The effect of these their praises:
when the angels and saints cried <i>Alleluia,</i> her fire burned
more fiercely and <i>her smoke ascended for ever and ever,</i>
<scripRef id="Rev.xx-p3.4" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.3" parsed="|Rev|19|3|0|0" passage="Re 19:3"><i>v.</i> 3</scripRef>. The surest way
to have our deliverances continued and completed is to give God the
glory of what he has done for us. Praising God for what we have is
praying in the most effectual manner for what is yet further to be
done for us; the praises of the saints blow up the fire of God's
wrath against the common enemy. 4. The blessed harmony between the
angels and the saints in this triumphant song, <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p3.5" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.4" parsed="|Rev|19|4|0|0" passage="Re 19:4"><i>v.</i> 4</scripRef>. The churches and their ministers
take the melodious sound from the angels, and repeat it; falling
down, and worshipping God, they cry, <i>Amen, Alleluia.</i></p>
</div><scripCom id="Rev.xx-p3.6" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.5-Rev.19.10" parsed="|Rev|19|5|19|10" passage="Re 19:5-10" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Rev.19.5-Rev.19.10">
<h4 id="Rev.xx-p3.7">The Triumph of the Saints. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xx-p3.8">a.
d.</span> 95.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Rev.xx-p4">5 And a voice came out of the throne, saying,
Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, both
small and great.   6 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.   7 Let us be glad and rejoice, and give
honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife
hath made herself ready.   8 And to her was granted that she
should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white: for the fine
linen is the righteousness of saints.   9 And he saith unto
me, Write, Blessed <i>are</i> they which are called unto the
marriage supper of the Lamb. And he saith unto me, These are the
true sayings of God.   10 And I fell at his feet to worship
him. And he said unto me, See <i>thou do it</i> not: I am thy
fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of
Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of
prophecy.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p5">The triumphant song being ended, and
epithalamium, or marriage-song, begins, <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p5.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.6" parsed="|Rev|19|6|0|0" passage="Re 19:6"><i>v.</i> 6</scripRef>. Here observe,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p6">I. The concert of heavenly music. The
chorus was large and loud, <i>as the voice of many waters and of
mighty thunderings.</i> God is fearful in praises. There is no
discord in heaven; the morning stars sing together; no jarring
string, nor key untuned, but pure and perfect melody.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p7">II. The occasion of this song; and that is
the reign and dominion of that omnipotent God who has <i>redeemed
his church by his own blood,</i> and is now in a more public manner
betrothing her to himself: <i>The marriage of the Lamb has
come,</i> <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p7.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.7" parsed="|Rev|19|7|0|0" passage="Re 19:7"><i>v.</i> 7</scripRef>. Some
think this refers to the conversion of the Jews, which they suppose
will succeed the fall of Babylon; others, to the general
resurrection: the former seems more probable. Now, 1. You have here
a description of the bride, how she appeared; not in the gay and
gaudy dress of the mother of harlots, but <i>in fine linen, clean
and white,</i> which <i>is the righteousness of saints;</i> in the
robes of Christ's righteousness, both imputed for justification and
imparted for sanctification—the <i>stola,</i> the <i>white
robe</i> of absolution, adoption, and enfranchisement, and the
white robe of purity and universal holiness. She had <i>washed her
robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb;</i> and these
her nuptial ornaments she did not purchase by any price of her own,
but received them as the gift and grant of her blessed Lord. 2. The
marriage-feast, which, though not particularly described (as
<scripRef id="Rev.xx-p7.2" osisRef="Bible:Matt.22.4" parsed="|Matt|22|4|0|0" passage="Mt 22:4">Matt. xxii. 4</scripRef>), yet is
declared to be such as would make all those happy who were called
to it, so called as to accept the invitation, a feast made up of
the promises of the gospel, <i>the true sayings of God,</i>
<scripRef id="Rev.xx-p7.3" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.9" parsed="|Rev|19|9|0|0" passage="Re 19:9"><i>v.</i> 9</scripRef>. These promises,
opened, applied, sealed, and earnested by <i>the Spirit of God,</i>
in holy eucharistical ordinances, are the marriage-feast; and the
whole collective body of all those who partake of this feast is the
bride, <i>the Lamb's wife;</i> they eat into one body, and drink
into one Spirit, and are not mere spectators or guests, but
coalesce into the espoused party, the mystical body of Christ. 3.
The transport of joy which the apostle felt in himself at this
vision. <i>He fell down at the feet of the angel, to worship
him,</i> supposing him to be more than a creature, or having his
thoughts at the present overpowered by the vehemency of his
affections. Here observe, (1.) What honour he offered to the angel:
<i>He fell at his feet, to worship him;</i> this prostration was a
part of external worship, it was a posture of proper adoration.
(2.) How the angel refused it, and this was with some resentment:
"<i>See thou do it not;</i> have a care what thou doest, thou art
doing a wrong thing." (3.) He gave a very good reason for his
refusal: "<i>I am thy fellow-servant, and of thy brethren which
have the testimony of Jesus</i>—I am a creature, thine equal in
office, though not in nature; <i>I,</i> as an angel and messenger
of God, <i>have the testimony of Jesus,</i> a charge to be a
witness for him and to testify concerning him, and thou, as an
apostle, having <i>the Spirit of prophecy,</i> hast the same
testimony to give in; and therefore we are in this brethren and
fellow-servants." (4.) He directs him to the true and only object
of religious worship; namely, God: "<i>Worship God,</i> and him
alone." This fully condemns both the practice of the papists in
worshipping the elements of bread and wine, and saints, and angels,
and the practice of those Socinians and Arians who do not believe
that Christ is truly and by nature God, and yet pay him religious
worship; and this shows what wretched fig-leaves all their evasions
and excuses are which they offer in their own vindication: they
stand hereby convicted of idolatry by a messenger from heaven.</p>
</div><scripCom id="Rev.xx-p7.4" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.11-Rev.19.21" parsed="|Rev|19|11|19|21" passage="Re 19:11-21" type="Commentary"/><div class="Commentary" id="Bible:Rev.19.11-Rev.19.21">
<h4 id="Rev.xx-p7.5">The Triumph of the Saints. (<span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xx-p7.6">a.
d.</span> 95.)</h4>
<p class="passage" id="Rev.xx-p8">11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white
horse; and he that sat upon him <i>was</i> called Faithful and
True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.   12
His eyes <i>were</i> as a flame of fire, and on his head
<i>were</i> many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man
knew, but he himself.   13 And he <i>was</i> clothed with a
vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.
  14 And the armies <i>which were</i> in heaven followed him
upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.  
15 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 winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty
God.   16 And he hath on <i>his</i> vesture and on his thigh a
name written, <span class="smallcaps" id="Rev.xx-p8.1">King of kings, and Lord of
lords.</span>   17 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;   18 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 <i>men, both</i> free and bond, both small and great.   19
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.   20 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 worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake
of fire burning with brimstone.   21 And the remnant were
slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which
<i>sword</i> proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were
filled with their flesh.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p9">No sooner was the marriage solemnized
between Christ and his church by the conversion of the Jews than
the glorious head and husband of the church is called out to a new
expedition, which seems to be the great battle that was to be
fought at Armageddon, foretold <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p9.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.16.16" parsed="|Rev|16|16|0|0" passage="Re 16:16"><i>ch.</i> xvi. 16</scripRef>. And here observe,</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p10">I. The description of the great Commander,
1. By the seat of his empire; and that is <i>heaven;</i> his throne
is there, and his power and authority are heavenly and divine. 2.
His equipage: he is again described as sitting <i>on a white
horse,</i> to show the equity of the cause, and certainty of
success. 3. His attributes: he is <i>faithful and true</i> to his
covenant and promise, he is righteous in all his judicial and
military proceedings, he has a penetrating insight into all the
strength and stratagems of his enemies, he has a large and
extensive dominion, many crowns, for he is <i>King of kings, and
Lord of lords.</i> 4. His armour; and that is <i>a vesture dipped
in blood,</i> either his own blood, by which he purchased this
mediatorial power, or the blood of his enemies, over whom he has
always prevailed. 5. His name: <i>The Word of God,</i> a name that
none fully knows but himself, only this we know, that this <i>Word
was God manifest in the flesh;</i> but his perfections are
incomprehensible by any creature.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p11">II. The army which he commands (<scripRef id="Rev.xx-p11.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.14" parsed="|Rev|19|14|0|0" passage="Re 19:14"><i>v.</i> 14</scripRef>), a very large one, made
up of many armies; angels and saints followed his conduct, and
resembled him in their equipage, and in their armour of purity and
righteousness—chosen, and called, and faithful.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p12">III. The weapons of his warfare—<i>A sharp
sword</i> proceeding from <i>his mouth</i> (<scripRef id="Rev.xx-p12.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.15" parsed="|Rev|19|15|0|0" passage="Re 19:15"><i>v.</i> 15</scripRef>), with which <i>he smites the
nations,</i> either the threatenings of the written word, which now
he is going to execute, or rather his word of command calling on
his followers to take a just revenge on his and their enemies, who
are now put into the wine-press of the wrath of God, to be trodden
under foot by him.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p13">IV. The ensigns of his authority, his coat
of arms—<i>a name written on his vesture and thigh, King of kings,
and Lord of lords,</i> asserting his authority and power, and the
cause of the quarrel, <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p13.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.16" parsed="|Rev|19|16|0|0" passage="Re 19:16"><i>v.</i>
16</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p14">V. An invitation given <i>to the fowls of
heaven,</i> that they should come and see the battle, and share in
the spoil and pillage of the field (<scripRef id="Rev.xx-p14.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.17-Rev.19.18" parsed="|Rev|19|17|19|18" passage="Re 19:17,18"><i>v.</i> 17, 18</scripRef>), intimating that this
great decisive engagement should leave the enemies of the church a
feast for the birds of prey, and that all the world should have
cause to rejoice in the issue of it.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p15">VI. The battle joined. The enemy falls on
with great fury, headed by <i>the beast, and the kings of the
earth;</i> the powers of earth and hell gathered, to make their
utmost effort, <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p15.1" osisRef="Bible:Rev.19.19" parsed="|Rev|19|19|0|0" passage="Re 19:19">v. 19</scripRef>.</p>
<p class="indent" id="Rev.xx-p16">VII. The victory gained by the great and
glorious head of the church: <i>The beast and the false
prophet,</i> the leaders of the army, are taken prisoners, both he
who led them by power and he who led them by policy and falsehood;
these are taken and <i>cast into the burning lake,</i> made
incapable of molesting the church of God any more; and their
followers, whether officers or common soldiers, are given up to
military execution, and made a feast for <i>the fowls of
heaven.</i> Though the divine vengeance will chiefly fall upon
<i>the beast, and the false prophet,</i> yet it will be no excuse
to those who fight under their banner that they only followed their
leaders and obeyed their command; since they would fight for them,
they must fall and perish with them. <i>Be wise now therefore, O
you kings, be instructed, you rulers of the earth; kiss the Son,
lest he be angry, and you perish from the way,</i> <scripRef id="Rev.xx-p16.1" osisRef="Bible:Ps.2.10 Bible:Ps.2.12" parsed="|Ps|2|10|0|0;|Ps|2|12|0|0" passage="Ps 2:10,12">Ps. ii. 10, 12</scripRef>.</p>
</div></div2>