And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, clothed with a cloud: and a rainbow _was_ upon his head, and his face _was_ as it were the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire: Ver. 1. _Come down from heaven_] Not from the bottomless pit, as Antichrist, that opposite to Christ's unction and f... [ Continue Reading ]
And he had in his hand a little book open: and he set his right foot upon the sea, and _his_ left _foot_ on the earth, Ver. 2. _A little book open_] The Bible translated and explained. It is called a great roll, written with the pen of a man, that is, clearly, that the simplest of men may conceive... [ Continue Reading ]
And cried with a loud voice, as _when_ a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. Ver. 3. _As when a lion roareth_] Gr. μυκαται, loweth like an ox, _mugit_ for _rugit._ See here an ox in a lion, mildness mixed with fierceness. _Satis est prostrasse Leoni._ This Lion... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the seven thunders had uttered their voices, I was about to write: and I heard a voice from heaven saying unto me, Seal up those things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not. Ver. 4. _Had uttered their voices_] Not audible only, but articulate; so as what John heard and was... [ Continue Reading ]
And the angel which I saw stand upon the sea and upon the earth lifted up his hand to heaven, Ver. 5. _Lifted up his hand_] And so swore solemnly,Genesis 14:22; Numbers 14:30; Ezekiel 20:5. Because it seemed improbable (if not impossible) that ever Babylon should down, Rome be ruined. But all the j... [ Continue Reading ]
And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: Ver. 6. _That there should be time no longer_] _i.e._ The beast's... [ Continue Reading ]
But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he hath declared to his servants the prophets. Ver. 7. _The mystery of God_] The conversion of the Jews, called a mystery, Romans 11:25, the bringing in of the Gentiles' fulnes... [ Continue Reading ]
And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, and said, Go _and_ take the little book which is open in the hand of the angel which standeth upon the sea and upon the earth. Ver. 8. _In the hand of the angel which standeth_] This description of Christ is here purposely repeated, that... [ Continue Reading ]
And I went unto the angel, and said unto him, Give me the little book. And he said unto me, Take _it_, and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but it shall be in thy mouth sweet as honey. Ver. 9. _Give me the little book_] Let preachers ply the throne of grace, if ever they will preach t... [ Continue Reading ]
And I took the little book out of the angel's hand, and ate it up; and it was in my mouth sweet as honey: and as soon as I had eaten it, my belly was bitter. Ver. 10. _Sweet as honey_] The word is so to the spiritual palate; whereas to the carnal it relisheth no better than the white of an egg or a... [ Continue Reading ]
And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings. Ver. 11. _Thou must prophesy_] For all the sorrow, thou and thy successors must set close to the Lord's work, for the regaining of those peoples, nations, &c., whom Antichrist hath enslaved. Or t... [ Continue Reading ]