437 lines
20 KiB
HTML
437 lines
20 KiB
HTML
<HTML>
|
|
<HEAD>
|
|
<TITLE>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible [Revelation XX].</TITLE>
|
|
<meta name="aesop" content="information">
|
|
<meta name="description" content=
|
|
"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">
|
|
<meta name="keywords" content=
|
|
"Prophecy, Rapture,hope,bible map,bible maps, God, tribulation,Second Coming,Christ,large print bible,commentary,complete">
|
|
</HEAD>
|
|
<body background="../sueback.jpg" bgproperties="fixed" >
|
|
<center><h1>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary
|
|
on the Whole Bible</h1>
|
|
<h3><a href="http://www.biblesnet.com" target="_blank">Back to Biblesnet.com Home Page</a>
|
|
</h3>
|
|
</center>
|
|
|
|
<HR>
|
|
<TABLE WIDTH="100%">
|
|
<TR>
|
|
<TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP">
|
|
[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
|
|
[<A HREF="MHC66019.HTM">Previous</A>]
|
|
[<A HREF="MHC66021.HTM">Next</A>]<BR>
|
|
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT" VALIGN="TOP">
|
|
Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1721)
|
|
</TD></TR></TABLE>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
|
|
<!-- (Begin Body) -->
|
|
|
|
<CENTER>
|
|
<BR><FONT SIZE=+3><B>R E V E L A T I O N.</B></FONT>
|
|
<BR>
|
|
<BR><FONT SIZE=+2>CHAP. XX.</FONT>
|
|
<HR SIZE=1 WIDTH=50>
|
|
</CENTER>
|
|
|
|
<FONT SIZE=-1>
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
This chapter is thought by some to be the darkest part of all this
|
|
prophecy: it is very probable that the things contained in it are not
|
|
yet accomplished; and therefore it is the wiser way to content
|
|
ourselves with general observations, rather than to be positive and
|
|
particular in our explications of it. Here we have an account,
|
|
|
|
I. Of the binding of Satan for a thousand years,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:1-3">ver. 1-3</A>.
|
|
|
|
II. The reign of the saints with Christ for the same time,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:4-6">ver. 4-6</A>.
|
|
|
|
III. Of the loosing of Satan, and the conflict of the church with Gog
|
|
and Magog,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:7-10">ver. 7-10</A>.
|
|
|
|
IV. Of the day of judgment,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:11-15">ver. 11</A>,
|
|
|
|
&c.</P>
|
|
</FONT>
|
|
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_1"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_2"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_3"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_4"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_5"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_6"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_7"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_8"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_9"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_10"> </A>
|
|
|
|
<A NAME="Sec1"> </A>
|
|
<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
|
|
<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Binding of Satan.</I></FONT></TD>
|
|
<TD ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BOTTOM><FONT SIZE=-1>A. D.</FONT> 95.</TD></TR>
|
|
<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
|
|
</TABLE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<FONT SIZE=+1>1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of
|
|
the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
|
|
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is
|
|
the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
|
|
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and
|
|
set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more,
|
|
till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he
|
|
must be loosed a little season.
|
|
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was
|
|
given unto them: and <I>I saw</I> the souls of them that were beheaded
|
|
for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had
|
|
not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received
|
|
<I>his</I> mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they
|
|
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
|
|
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand
|
|
years were finished. This <I>is</I> the first resurrection.
|
|
6 Blessed and holy <I>is</I> 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.
|
|
7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be
|
|
loosed out of his prison,
|
|
8 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 <I>is</I> as the sand of the sea.
|
|
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed
|
|
the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came
|
|
down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
|
|
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of
|
|
fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet <I>are,</I>
|
|
and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
|
|
</FONT></P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
We have here, I. A prophecy of <I>the binding of Satan</I> for a
|
|
certain term of time, in which he should have much less power and the
|
|
church much more peace than before. The power of Satan was broken in
|
|
part by the setting up of the gospel kingdom in the world; it was
|
|
further reduced by the empire's becoming Christian; it was yet further
|
|
broken by the downfall of the mystical Babylon; but still this serpent
|
|
had many heads, and, when one is wounded, another has life remaining in
|
|
it. Here we have a further limitation and diminution of his power.
|
|
Observe,
|
|
|
|
1. To whom this work of binding Satan is committed--to <I>an angel from
|
|
heaven.</I> It is very probable that this angel is no other than the
|
|
Lord Jesus Christ; the description of him will hardly agree with any
|
|
other. He is one who has power to <I>bind the strong man armed, to cast
|
|
him out, and to spoil his goods;</I> and therefore must be stronger
|
|
than he.
|
|
|
|
2. The means he makes use of in this work: he has a <I>chain</I> and a
|
|
<I>key, a great chain</I> to bind Satan, and <I>the key of the</I>
|
|
prison in which he was to be confined. Christ never wants proper powers
|
|
and instruments to break the power of Satan, for he has the powers of
|
|
heaven and the keys of hell.
|
|
|
|
3. The execution of this work,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:2,3"><I>v.</I> 2, 3</A>.
|
|
|
|
(1.) <I>He laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
|
|
devil, and Satan.</I> Neither the strength of the dragon, nor the
|
|
subtlety of the serpent, was sufficient to rescue him out of the hands
|
|
of Christ; he caught hold, and kept his hold. And,
|
|
|
|
(2.) He <I>cast him into the bottomless pit,</I> cast him down with
|
|
force, and with a just vengeance, to his own place and prison, from
|
|
which he had been permitted to break out, and disturb the churches, and
|
|
deceive the nations; now he is brought back to that prison, and there
|
|
laid in chains.
|
|
|
|
(3.) He is <I>shut up, and a seal set upon him.</I> Christ shuts, and
|
|
none can open; he shuts by his power, seals by his authority; and his
|
|
lock and seal even the devils themselves cannot break open.
|
|
|
|
(4.) We have the term of this confinement of Satan--<I>a thousand
|
|
years,</I> after which he was to <I>be loosed</I> again for <I>a little
|
|
season.</I> The church should have a considerable time of peace and
|
|
prosperity, but all her trials were not yet over.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
II. An account of the reign of the saints for the same space of time in
|
|
which Satan continued bound
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:4-6"><I>v.</I> 4-6</A>),
|
|
|
|
and here observe,</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
1. Who those were that received such honour--those who had suffered for
|
|
Christ, and all who had faithfully adhered to him, not receiving the
|
|
mark of the beast, nor worshipping his image; all who had kept
|
|
themselves clear of pagan and papal idolatry.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
2. The honour bestowed upon them.
|
|
|
|
(1.) They were raised from the dead, and restored to life. This may be
|
|
taken either literally or figuratively; they were in a civil and
|
|
political sense dead, and had a political resurrection; their liberties
|
|
and privileges were revived and restored.
|
|
|
|
(2.) <I>Thrones,</I> and power of <I>judgment, were given to them;</I>
|
|
they were possessed of great honour, and interest, and authority, I
|
|
suppose rather of a spiritual than of a secular nature.
|
|
|
|
(3.) <I>They reigned with Christ a thousand years.</I> Those who suffer
|
|
with Christ shall reign with Christ; they shall reign with him in his
|
|
spiritual and heavenly kingdom, in a glorious conformity to him in
|
|
wisdom, righteousness, and holiness, beyond what had been known before
|
|
in the world. This is called <I>the first resurrection,</I> which none
|
|
but those who have served Christ and suffered for him shall be favoured
|
|
with. As for the wicked, they shall not be raised up and restored to
|
|
their power again, till Satan be let loose; this may be called a
|
|
resurrection, as the conversion of the Jews is said to be <I>life from
|
|
the dead.</I></P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
3. The happiness of these servants of God is declared.
|
|
|
|
(1.) They are <I>blessed and holy,</I>
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:6"><I>v.</I> 6</A>.
|
|
|
|
None can be blessed but those that are holy; and all that are holy
|
|
shall be blessed. These were holy as a sort of first-fruits to God in
|
|
this spiritual resurrection, and as such blessed by him.
|
|
|
|
(2.) They are secured from the power of the second death. We know
|
|
something of what the first death is, and it is awful; but we know not
|
|
what this second death is. It must be much more dreadful; it is the
|
|
death of the soul, eternal separation from God. The Lord grant we may
|
|
never know what it is by experience. Those who have had experience of a
|
|
spiritual resurrection are saved from the power of the second
|
|
death.</P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
III. An account of the return of the church's troubles, and another
|
|
mighty conflict, very sharp, but short and decisive. Observe,
|
|
|
|
1. The restraints laid for a long time on Satan are at length taken
|
|
off. While this world lasts, Satan's power in it will not be wholly
|
|
destroyed; it may be limited and lessened, but he will have something
|
|
still to do for the disturbance of the people of God.
|
|
|
|
2. No sooner is Satan let loose than he falls to his old work,
|
|
<I>deceiving the nations,</I> and so stirring them up to make a war
|
|
with the saints and servants of God, which they would never do if he
|
|
had not first deceived them. They are deceived both as to the cause
|
|
they engage in (they believe it to be a good cause when it is indeed a
|
|
very bad one), and as to the issue: they expect to be successful, but
|
|
are sure to lose the day.
|
|
|
|
3. His last efforts seem to be the greatest. The power now permitted
|
|
to him seems to be more unlimited than before. He had now liberty to
|
|
beat up for his volunteers in all <I>the four quarters of the
|
|
earth,</I> and he raised a mighty army, the number of which was <I>as
|
|
the sand of the sea,</I>
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:8"><I>v.</I> 8</A>.
|
|
|
|
4. We have the names of the principal commanders in this army under the
|
|
dragon--<I>Gog and Magog.</I> We need not be too inquisitive as to what
|
|
particular powers are meant by these names, since the army was gathered
|
|
from all parts of the world. These names are found in other parts of
|
|
scripture. <I>Magog</I> we read of in
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Ge+10:2">Gen. x. 2</A>.
|
|
|
|
He was one of the sons of Japheth, and peopled the country called
|
|
<I>Syria,</I> from which his descendants spread into many other parts.
|
|
Of <I>Gog and Magog</I> together we only read in
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eze+38:2">Ezek. xxxviii. 2</A>,
|
|
|
|
a prophecy whence this in Revelation borrows many of its images.
|
|
|
|
5. We have the march and military disposition of this formidable army
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:9"><I>v.</I> 9</A>):
|
|
|
|
<I>They went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of
|
|
the saints about, and the beloved city,</I> that is, the spiritual
|
|
Jerusalem, in which the most precious interests of the people of God
|
|
are lodged, and therefore to them a beloved city. The army of the
|
|
saints is described as drawn forth out of the city, and lying under the
|
|
walls of it, to defend it; they were encamped about Jerusalem: but the
|
|
army of the enemy was so much superior to that of the church that they
|
|
compassed them and their city about.
|
|
|
|
6. You have an account of the battle, and the issue of this war:
|
|
<I>Fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured the enemy.</I>
|
|
Thus the ruin of <I>Gog and Magog</I> is foretold
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Eze+38:22">Ezek. xxxviii. 22</A>),
|
|
|
|
<I>I will rain upon him and upon his bands an overflowing rain, and
|
|
great hailstones, and fire and brimstone.</I> God would, in an
|
|
extraordinary and more immediate manner, fight this last and decisive
|
|
battle for his people, that the victory might be complete and the glory
|
|
redound to himself.
|
|
|
|
7. The doom and punishment of the grand enemy, <I>the devil:</I> he is
|
|
now cast into hell, with his two great officers, <I>the beast and the
|
|
false prophet,</I> tyranny and idolatry, and that not for any term of
|
|
time, but to be there <I>tormented night and day, for ever and
|
|
ever.</I></P>
|
|
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_11"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_12"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_13"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_14"> </A>
|
|
<A NAME="Re20_15"> </A>
|
|
|
|
<A NAME="Sec2"> </A>
|
|
<TABLE WIDTH="100%" BORDER=0>
|
|
<TR><TD><FONT SIZE=+1><I>The Universal Judgment.</I></FONT></TD>
|
|
<TD ALIGN=RIGHT VALIGN=BOTTOM><FONT SIZE=-1>A. D.</FONT> 95.</TD></TR>
|
|
<TR><TD COLSPAN=2><HR SIZE=1></TD></TR>
|
|
</TABLE>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
<FONT SIZE=+1>11 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.
|
|
12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and
|
|
the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is <I>the
|
|
book</I> of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which
|
|
were written in the books, according to their works.
|
|
13 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.
|
|
14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is
|
|
the second death.
|
|
15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was
|
|
cast into the lake of fire.
|
|
</FONT></P>
|
|
|
|
<P>
|
|
|
|
The utter destruction of the devil's kingdom very properly leads to an
|
|
account of the day of judgment, which will determine every man's
|
|
everlasting state; and we may be assured there will be a judgment when
|
|
we see <I>the prince of this world is judged,</I>
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Joh+16:11">John xvi. 11</A>.
|
|
|
|
This will be a great day, <I>the great day, when all shall appear
|
|
before the judgment-seat of Christ.</I> The Lord help us firmly to
|
|
believe this doctrine of the judgment to come. It is a doctrine that
|
|
made Felix tremble. Here we have a description of it, where observe,
|
|
|
|
1. We behold <I>the throne,</I> and tribunal of judgment, <I>great</I>
|
|
and <I>white,</I> very glorious and perfectly just and righteous.
|
|
<I>The throne of iniquity, that establishes wickedness by a law,</I>
|
|
has no fellowship with this righteous throne and tribunal.
|
|
|
|
2. The appearance of the Judge, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ, who
|
|
then puts on such majesty and terror that <I>the earth and the heaven
|
|
flee from his face, and there is no place found for them;</I> there is
|
|
a dissolution of the whole frame of nature,
|
|
|
|
<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=2Pe+3:10">2 Pet. iii. 10</A>.
|
|
|
|
3. The persons to be judged
|
|
|
|
(<A HREF="http://bible.gospelcom.net/bible?version=KJV&passage=Re+20:12"><I>v.</I> 12</A>):
|
|
|
|
<I>The dead, small and great;</I> that is, young and old, low and high,
|
|
poor and rich. None are so mean but they have some talents to account
|
|
for, and none so great as to avoid the jurisdiction of this court; not
|
|
only those that are found alive at the coming of Christ, but all who
|
|
have died before; the grave shall surrender the bodies of men, hell
|
|
shall surrender the souls of the wicked, the sea shall surrender the
|
|
many who seemed to have been lost in it.
|
|
|
|
4. The rule of judgment settled: <I>The books were opened.</I> What
|
|
books? The books of God's omniscience, who is greater than our
|
|
consciences, and knows all things (there is a book of remembrance with
|
|
him both for good and bad); and the book of the sinner's conscience,
|
|
which, though formerly secret, will now be opened. <I>And another
|
|
book</I> shall be <I>opened</I>--the book of the scriptures, the
|
|
statute-book of heaven, the rule of life. This book is opened as
|
|
containing the law, the touchstone by which the hearts and lives of men
|
|
are to be tried. This book determines matter of right; the other books
|
|
give evidence of matters of fact. Some, by <I>the other book,</I>
|
|
called <I>the book of life,</I> understand the book of God's eternal
|
|
counsels; but that does not seem to belong to the affair of judgment:
|
|
in eternal election God does not act judicially, but with absolute
|
|
sovereign freedom.
|
|
|
|
5. The cause to be tried; and that is, <I>the works of men,</I> what
|
|
they have done and whether it be good or evil. <I>By their works men
|
|
shall be justified or condemned;</I> for though God knows their state
|
|
and their principles, and looks chiefly at these, yet, being to approve
|
|
himself to angels and men as a righteous God, he will try their
|
|
principles by their practices, and so will <I>be justified when he
|
|
speaks and clear when he judges.</I>
|
|
|
|
6. The issue of the trial and judgment; and this will be according to
|
|
the evidence of fact, and rule of judgment. All those who have <I>made
|
|
a covenant with death,</I> and an <I>agreement with hell,</I> shall
|
|
then be condemned with their infernal confederates, cast with them into
|
|
the lake of fire, as not being entitled to eternal life, according to
|
|
the rules of life laid down in the scripture; but those whose names are
|
|
written in that book (that is, those that are justified and acquitted
|
|
by the gospel) shall then be justified and acquitted by the Judge, and
|
|
shall enter into eternal life, having nothing more to fear from death,
|
|
or hell, or wicked men; for these are all destroyed together. Let it be
|
|
our great concern to see on what terms we stand with our Bibles,
|
|
whether they justify us or condemn us now; for the Judge of all will
|
|
proceed by that rule. <I>Christ shall judge the secrets of all men
|
|
according to the gospel.</I> Happy are those who have so ordered and
|
|
stated their cause according to the gospel as to know beforehand that
|
|
they shall be justified in the great day of the Lord!</P>
|
|
|
|
<!-- (End Body) -->
|
|
|
|
<HR>
|
|
<TABLE WIDTH="100%">
|
|
<TR>
|
|
<TD ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP">
|
|
[<A HREF="MHC00000.HTM">Table of Contents</A>]<BR>
|
|
[<A HREF="MHC66019.HTM">Previous</A>]
|
|
[<A HREF="MHC66021.HTM">Next</A>]<BR>
|
|
<TD ALIGN="RIGHT" VALIGN="TOP">
|
|
Matthew Henry<BR><I>Commentary on the Whole Bible</I> (1721)
|
|
</TABLE>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
<TABLE WIDTH="100%">
|
|
<TR>
|
|
<TD ALIGN="CENTER" VALIGN="BOTTOM">
|
|
|
|
|
|
<!--Matthew_Henry's_Commentary_on_the_Whole_Bible:_Revelation_XX.--><a href="http://www.biblesnet.com" target="_blank"><b>Back to Bibles Net . Com - Online Christian Library </b></a><br>
|
|
<a href="http://biblesnet.com/download.html" target="_blank"><br>
|
|
<b>Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Free Download</b></a><br>
|
|
<br>
|
|
<A HREF="http://biblesnet.com/contactus.html" target="_blank"><strong>Contact Us </strong></A><br>
|
|
|
|
</TD></TR></TABLE>
|
|
<HR>
|
|
</BODY>
|
|
</HTML>
|