EXPOSITION OF THE REVELATION OF JESUS CHRIST. CHAPTER L 1. The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass, and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John. 2. Who bare record of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, and of all things that he saw. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand. THIS book is called the Revelation of St. John, the Divine. It entitles itself the Apocalypsis of Jesus Christ, which name it ought to have retained. Upon a general view of its contents, it is a proclamation of the Son of God the heir of all things and head of the human family; the King of kings, and Lord of lords; that all power in heaven and earth is given unto him, to establish his kingdom; and to reign in defiance of all the powers of darkness, till he has put down all rule, and all authority, and laid all his enemies under his feet. Of all the oracles of God, this volume is the most re markable, and of all scripture prophecies, certainly the most important to the church; not only on account of its sublimity of style, and vast import of expression; but more particularly, because it is in a peculiar sense of the world, a written document of Jesus Christ. In his other writings, the apostle being moved by the Holy Ghost, has written from the treasure of divine knowledge and wisdom, which he possessed; but here, except a few remarks of the inspired penman, he has only written what the Lord himself dictated to him, and what he saw and heard; wherefore the whole work is of the Lord's own management, and in fact his Revelation. For after the addresses to the seven churches, which the apostle has written down from the lips of the Lord, and a description of the exalted theatre of vision, in the first five chapters of this book, the apostle from chapter vi. to chapter viii. only gives us a copy of that volume in heaven, which the Lion of Judea opened. And all what we read from chapter viii. to chap. ix. 21. is not a transcript from that book with seven seals, but an emblematical representation of a series of facts, which have since occurred, and are recorded on the page of history. Verse 1. Which God gave unto him. Our blessed Lord in his mediatorial character, became acquainted with many things after his exaltation to the right hand of the Father, which he did not know during his pilgrimage on earth. Matthew xxiv. 36. Mark xiii. 32. Acts i. 7. He formerly ascribed all to his Father. John xii. 49. The doctrines which he taught, the miracles which he performed, were the command or gift of his Father; John v. 36. chap. x. 25-whatever he possessed, he enjoyed in union with him, John xvi. 15—and here he makes the same confession still, even after his ascension. Surprising humility! Precious truth! Of which God is the fountain, Christ the teacher, Angels the servants, Apostles the witnesses, and the Children of God the scholars. Since God has given this Revelation to Jesus Christ, there must be many things in it, unknown |