And I saw an angel decending out of heaven — Coming down with a commission from God. Jesus Christ himself overthrew the beast: the proud dragon shall be bound by an angel; even as he and his angels were cast out of heaven by Michael and his angels. Having the key of the bottomless pit — Mentioned be... [ Continue Reading ]
And he laid hold on the dragon — With whom undoubtedly his angels were now cast into the bottomless pit, as well as finally "into everlasting fire," Matthew 25:41. And bound him a thousand years — That these thousand do not precede, or run parallel with, but wholly follow, the times of the beast, ma... [ Continue Reading ]
And set a seal upon him — How far these expressions are to be taken literally, how far figuratively only, who can tell? That he might deceive the nations no more — One benefit only is here expressed, as resulting from the confinement of Satan. But how many and great blessings are implied! For the gr... [ Continue Reading ]
And I saw thrones — Such as are promised the apostles, Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30. And they — Namely, the saints, whom St. John saw at the same time, Daniel 7:22, sat upon them; and Judgment was given to them. 1 Corinthians 6:2. Who, and how many, these are, is not said. But they are distinguished fr... [ Continue Reading ]
The rest of the dead lived not till the thousand years — Mentioned, Revelation 20:4. Were ended — The thousand years during which Satan is bound both begin and end much sooner. The small time, and the second thousand years, begin at the same point, immediately after the first thousand. But neither... [ Continue Reading ]
They shall be priests of God and of Christ — Therefore Christ is God. And shall reign with him — With Christ, a thousand years.... [ Continue Reading ]
And when the former thousand years are fulfilled, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison — At the same time that the first resurrection begins. There is a great resemblance between this passage and Revelation 12:12. At the casting out of the dragon, there was joy in heaven, but there was woe upon e... [ Continue Reading ]
And shall go forth to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth — (That is, in all the earth) — the more diligently, as he hath been so long restrained, and knoweth he hath but a small time. Gog and Magog — Magog, the second son of Japhet, is the father of the innumerable northern nations... [ Continue Reading ]
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, or the land — Filling the whole breadth of it. And surrounded the camp of the saints — Perhaps the gentile church, dwelling round about Jerusalem. And the beloved city — So termed, likewise, Ecclesiasticus 24:11.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they — All these. Shall be tormented day and night — That is, without any intermission. Strictly speaking, there is only night there: no day, no sun, no hope!... [ Continue Reading ]
And I saw — A representation of that great day of the Lord. A great white throne — How great, who can say? White with the glory of God, of him that sat upon it, — Jesus Christ. The apostle does not attempt to describe him here; only adds that circumstance, far above all description, From whose face... [ Continue Reading ]
And I saw the dead, great and small — Of every age and condition. This includes, also, those who undergo a change equivalent to death, 1 Corinthians 15:51. And the books — Human judges have their books written with pen and ink: how different is the nature of these books! Were opened — O how many hid... [ Continue Reading ]
Death and hades gave up the dead that were in them — Death gave up all the bodies of men; and hades, the receptacle of separate souls, gave them up, to be re — united to their bodies.... [ Continue Reading ]
And death and hades were cast into the lake of fire — That is, were abolished for ever; for neither the righteous nor the wicked were to die any more: their souls and bodies were no more to be separated. Consequently, neither death nor hades could any more have a being.... [ Continue Reading ]