The Revelation — Properly so called; for things covered before are here revealed, or unveiled. No prophecy in the Old Testament has this title; it was reserved for this alone in the New. It is, as it were, a manifesto, wherein the Heir of all things declares that all power is given him in heaven and... [ Continue Reading ]
Who hath testified — In the following book. The word of God — Given directly by God. And the testimony of Jesus — Which he hath left us, as the faithful and true witness. Whatsoever things he saw — In such a manner as was a full confirmation of the divine original of this book.... [ Continue Reading ]
Happy is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of this prophecy — Some have miserably handled this book. Hence others are afraid to touch it; and, while they desire to know all things else, reject only the knowledge of those which God hath shown. They inquire after anything rather than this... [ Continue Reading ]
John — The dedication of this book is contained in Revelation 1:4; but the whole Revelation is a kind of letter. To the seven churches which are in Asia — That part of the Lesser Asia which was then a Roman province. There had been several other churches planted here; but it seems these were now the... [ Continue Reading ]
And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth — Three glorious appellations are here given him, and in their proper order. He was the faithful witness of the whole will of God before his death, and in death, and remains such i... [ Continue Reading ]
To him that loveth us, and, out of that free, abundant love, hath washed us from the guilt and power of our sins with his own blood, and hath made us kings — Partakers of his present, and heirs of his eternal, kingdom. And priests unto his God and Father — To whom we continually offer ourselves, an... [ Continue Reading ]
Behold — In this and the next verse is the proposition, and the summary of the whole book. He cometh — Jesus Christ. Throughout this book, whenever it is said, He cometh, it means his glorious coming. The preparation for this began at the destruction of Jerusalem, and more particularly at the time o... [ Continue Reading ]
I am the Alpha and the Omega, saith the Lord God — Alpha is the first, Omega, the last, letter in the Greek alphabet. Let his enemies boast and rage ever so much in the intermediate time, yet the Lord God is both the Alpha, or beginning, and the Omega, or end, of all things. God is the beginning, as... [ Continue Reading ]
I John — The instruction and preparation of the apostle for the work are described from Revelation 1:9. Your brother — In the common faith. And companion in the affliction — For the same persecution which carried him to Patmos drove them into Asia. This book peculiarly belongs to those who are under... [ Continue Reading ]
I was in the Spirit — That is, in a trance, a prophetic vision; so overwhelmed with the power, and filled with the light, of the Holy Spirit, as to be insensible of outward things, and wholly taken up with spiritual and divine. What follows is one single, connected vision, which St. John saw in one... [ Continue Reading ]
Saying, What thou seest — And hearest. He both saw and heard. This command extends to the whole book. All the books of the New Testament were written by the will of God; but none were so expressly commanded to be written. In a book — So all the Revelation is but one book: nor did the letter to the a... [ Continue Reading ]
And I turned to see the voice — That is, to see him whose voice it was. And being turned, I saw — It seems, the vision presented itself gradually. First he heard a voice; and, upon looking behind, he saw the golden candlesticks, and then, in the midst of the candlesticks, which were placed in a circ... [ Continue Reading ]
His head and his hair — That is, the hair of his head, not his whole head. Were white as white wool — Like the Ancient of Days, represented in Daniel's vision, Daniel 7:9. Wool is commonly supposed to be an emblem of eternity. As snow — Betokening his spotless purity. And his eyes as a flame of fire... [ Continue Reading ]
And his feet like fine brass — Denoting his stability and strength. As if they burned in a furnace — As if having been melted and refined, they were still red hot. And his voice — To the comfort of his friends, and the terror of his enemies. As the voice of many waters — Roaring aloud, and bearing d... [ Continue Reading ]
And he had in his right hand seven stars — In token of his favour and powerful protection. And out of his mouth went a sharp two — edged sword — Signifying his justice and righteous anger, continually pointed against his enemies as a sword; sharp, to stab; two — edged, to hew. And his countenance wa... [ Continue Reading ]
And I fell at his feet as dead — Human nature not being able to sustain so glorious an appearance. Thus was he prepared (like Daniel of old, whom he peculiarly resembles) for receiving so weighty a prophecy. A great sinking of nature usually precedes a large communication of heavenly things. St. Joh... [ Continue Reading ]
And he that liveth — Another peculiar title of God. And I have the keys of death and of hades — That is, the invisible world. In the intermediate state, the body abides in death, the soul in hades. Christ hath the keys of, that is, the power over, both; killing or quickening of the body, and disposi... [ Continue Reading ]
Write the things which thou hast seen — This day: which accordingly are written, Revelation 1:11. And which are — The instructions relating to the present state of the seven churches. These are written, Revelation 1:20-3. And which shall be hereafter — To the end of the world; written, Revelation 4:... [ Continue Reading ]
Write first the mystery — The mysterious meaning of the seven stars — St. John knew better than we do, in how many respects these stars were a proper emblem of those angels: how nearly they resembled each other, and how far they differed in magnitude, brightness, aa& other circumstances. The seven s... [ Continue Reading ]