PART V. SECTION II. The first Angel proclaims. CHAP. XIV. VER. 6, 7. gel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel to 6 And I saw another 16 And I saw another an- preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 7 Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him, for the hour of his judgement is come: and worship him that made heaven and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters. The character of the true, faithful, Christian Church having been exhibited, its history now begins to be generally set forth; while solemn warnings, and instructions, and encouragements, most useful to the faithful during the times of the beast, are delivered. And first an angel, flying in mid-heaven *, proclaims * See note, ch. viii. 13. the the Gospel, as an everlasting rule of faith and of conduct. It has been the endeavour of the antichristian powers to corrupt, or secrete, this Gospel", which is to lead all nations and languages to the knowledge and worship of the Almighty Creator. So the progress of the Reformation seems here to be prefigured, which, from its first dawnings, ever appealed to the everlasting Gospel as the sole rule of faith, and preached the restoration of Gospel worship in opposition to the reigning impurities and superstitions. Ver. 7. Judgment.] See note, ch. xi. 18. Mahomet and his followers have corrupted,-the papal hierarchy have secreted it. Another angel follows, proclaiming the fall of "Babylon, that great city," which had intoxicated, seduced, and corrupted the nations with her impure religion. This city, and her fall, will be more particularly represented in chapters xvii. and xviii. It is sufficient in this place to observe, that this is one very formidable horn of the second antichristian beast, the false prophet; the fall of which is here prophetically anticipated, for the comfort and encouragement of the suffering Church, engaged in opposing her. And the progress of the Reformation seems still to be generally described: for, the purer Christians, the Albigenses and Valdenses, in the twelfth century, pronounced the church of Rome to be this very Babylon; the mother of harlots, and abomina"tions of the earth *." From this discovery is to be dated the beginning of her fall. * See Mede's Works, pp. 517. 722. &c. Thuan. Hist. lib. vi. cap. 16. Bp. Newton's Dissert. vol. iii. p. 258. 8vo. PART V. SECTION IV. The third Angel proclaims. CHAP. XIV. VER. 9-12. 9 Kai rgiros alyshos | 9 And a third angel fol- | 9 And the third angel. τῇ μελώπε αὐτό, À ini che xega 10 αὑτῷ, Καὶ αὐτὸς πίεται ἐκ τῶ εἶνα τῷ θυμῷ τῷ Θεό, τα κεκεξασμένος α κράτω, ἐν τῷ πόληpig Tūs оgyūs autÿ' καὶ βασανισθήσεται ἐν τουρὶ καὶ θείῳ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἁγίων ἀγέλων κα EVATION TE de̟vie. 11 Καὶ ὁ καπνὸς τῆ βασανισμᾶ αὐτῶν ἀναβαίνει εἰς αἰῶνας αiwvw xx ixeσιν ἀνάπαυσιν ἡμέτ ξας καὶ νυκτὸς οἱ προσκυνάνες τὸ θηρίον καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτῷ, καὶ εἴ τις λαμβάνει τὸ χάραἷμα τῷ ὀνόματ 12 τος αὐτῷ. Ωδε ὑπομονὴ τῶν ἁγίων ἐσίν· ὧδε οἱ τηρένιες τὰς ἐντολὰς T8 Θεῖ, καὶ τὴν πίςιν Ιησε. or upon his hand; "of the wine of the "gels, and before the 10 his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture, into the cup of his indig nation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone, in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever; and they have no rest day nor night who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of 12 his name. Here is the patience of the saints here are they that keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. A third angel proclaims just and eternal vengeance upon those who "worship the beast;" who knowing their duty and their allegiance to God, sacrifice them to their worldly interests. They are threatened with "the wine of the wrath of God;" the wine, which is at first strong of itself, unmixed (aupalov), has no diluting liquor put to it, to reduce its strength, as was common in the eastern nations of 66 of antiquity. But, secondly, it is nexegaoμLevov, rendered still stronger by the mixture of powerful, intoxicating ingredients. Compare Isaiah li. 17-23; Psalm lxxv. 8. "The Hebrew idea of which Saint John expresses in Greek, with the utmost precision, though "with a seeming contradiction in terms, nexɛgaσμLEVOV angaiov, merum mixtum; pure wine made yet stronger by a mixture of powerful ingredients. In "the hand of Jehovah, (saith the Psalmist,) there is a cup, and the wine is turbid; it is full of mixed liquor, and he poureth out of it, (or rather he poureth it out of one vessel into another, to mix it perfectly, according to the reading expressed by the "ancient versions,) all the ungodly shall wring them "out and drink them." The expression in the Sep"tuagint, Psalm lxxv. 8: wolnion owns angule winges κερασμαῖος, which in the Chaldee is called a cup of "malediction, throws additional light on this pas 66 sage. Compare also Psalm xi. 6; lx. 3: Jer. xxv. “15, 16, &c.: Lam. iv. 21: Ezek. xxiii. 32, &c.: "Hab. ii. 16: Zech. xii. 2: also Hom. Il. xxii. 527; Odyss. iv. 220*." Such terms were used to express the anger of God, terrible by temporal punishments, but most terrible by those torments beyond the grave, "where their worm dieth not, and their fire is not quenched;" which ideas are also forcibly expressed in the words now before us; "the smoke of their "torment ascendeth for ever and ever." Thus the terror of the greater evil is exhibited, to enable Christians to undergo the less with patient courage described in the twelfth verse. * Bp. Lowth, on Isaiah li. PART |