servant of his, and of all true Christians, who have the testimony of Jesus.

The last portion of the chapter, (from v. 11.) describes the particulars of the Lamb's victory, (alluded to in ch. xvii. 14.) Heaven is opened; and the Saviour is described as riding upon a white horse, in token of glorious triumph over his enemies. A variety of epithets and splendid imagery are employed, significant of the power, office, and authority of THE WORD OF GOD. His followers are emblematically represented as victorious in purity and sanctity, through this "King of kings, and Lord of lords." Whilst the utter destruction of His enemies is shown by the figure of fowls being called to devour their dead bodies.

The whole of this sublime and figurative description is to represent the downfall of Popery, and the triumph of pure Christianity; that the power of AntiChrist shall be utterly subdued; and the Religion of Rome, as well as Rome herself, shall be totally destroyed.

TWENTIETH CHAPTER.

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 saw 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 his 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 is the first resurrection. 6 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. 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 is 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. that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. 11 And I saw a great white throne,

10 And the devil

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 the book 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.

After the destruction of these enemies of Christ, there still remains the Dragon, who had delegated his power to them; -" that old Serpent which is the

Devil and Satan ;"-but he is bound "by an angel," an especial minister of God; and then the famous MILLENIUM commences, or the reign of the Saints upon the earth, for a thousand years. "Binding him, casting him into the bottomless pit, and shutting him up with a seal," are figurative expressions, to show that he shall be kept under severe restraint, and not be permitted to deceive nations, during the whole of this period. Then shall follow a particular and partial Resurrection, preceding the general one, by at least a thousand years: the Saints and Martyrs(like Elijah in the person of John the Baptist, and David in that of Christ)-shall, as it were, live again in the persons of other Saints, who shall fulfil their office and character again; and the holy Martyrs and Confessors of Christ shall be raised from the dead, and share in the felicities of Christ's kingdom upon earth. This is the first resurrection;" and it will be the peculiar prerogative of Martyrs and Confessors above the rest of the dead amongst mankind, who shall "live not again" till the 1000 years are finished'.

1 Much has been written upon this promised Millenium; and in their opinions authors have differed widely. Some (as Newton) understand the prophecy literally, to mean a real and proper resurrection of Holy Martyrs. Others understand it in a figurative and typical sense; and that as in prophetic language the Church and People of God were said to be restored to life, whenever they were delivered from captivity or false religion, or any remarkable calamity ;-so here the Millenium is only intended to imply a flourishing condition of the

At the expiration of this period, "Satan shall be loosed;" but only as is said (verse 3) "for a little season;" and he shall be permitted "to deceive nations," once more; and shall engage Gog and Magog on his side; which are most probably mystic names, implying some whom even this state shall not secure from sinning, when the Tempter has power. Satan and his adherents, however, shall not prevail against the New Jerusalem, and the saints therein; but they shall be destroyed in an extraordinary manner "by fire from heaven," and shall finally be cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, to be punished for ever and ever.

Then the General Resurrection and Judgment shall take place; and Death and Hell-(which are here personified)-shall be cast into the lake of fire which

Church, and a happy state of God's people, for a specific period of time, during which the enemies of Christ shall not be permitted to disturb them. That after this, an unhappy Apostasy shall once more take place (figuratively expressed by "Satan being loosed,")—and, the barbarous northern nations, (represented by Gog and Magog) shall attempt to destroy the peace of God's Church. Their attempt, however, shall be fruitless, and shall end in their final and complete overthrow; and then shall come the Consummation of all things in the General Resurrection,

Like all other unfulfilled prophecies, this can only receive its true interpretation from the event; and time alone will develope these mysteries of the kingdom of God: till then, it is unsafe to pronounce after what particular manner they shall be fulfilled; only in a general sense, we may confidently expect, that happy times, of long duration, are yet in store for the Christian Church, even here upon earth.

is the second death:" i. e. temporal death and the grave shall be totally abolished, and shall, with respect to the wicked, be converted into eternal death.

TWENTY-FIRST AND TWENTY-SECOND CHAPTERS.

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. 2 And I John saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I 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, und be their God. 4 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. :

5 And he

And

6 And

that sat upon the throne, said, Behold, I make all things new. he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. he said unto me, It is done. I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. 7 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone; which is the second death. 9 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 shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. 10 And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, 11 Having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as crystal; 12 And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the себ