REVELATIKY

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ontinues the detail of the sixth seal, and h God withheld his determination to destroy f Josiah, as before stated; and, accordingly, lding the four winds (armies) of the earth, er angel commanding them to continue to reants of God were sealed on their foreheads; e tribes of the children of Israel were sealed. er that aided Josiah in mourning for sin, and in of their fathers (ch. vii. ver. 4); and with them fim de of all nations, which no man could number, Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in were those who had the seal on their foreheads 1.- ch. vii. ver. 9. Therefore were they before the nd serve him day and night in his temple, and he e throne shall dwell among them. They shall hunther thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on neat. For the Lamb which is in the midst of the ed them, and shall lead them to fountains of living od shall wipe away all tears from their eyes. ch. vii.

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1 TRUMPET Sounded (ch. 9, ver. 14); and John heard the four horns of the golden altar (a voice correspondent of disobedience in Josiah, who, in opposition to the word nt out to fight Nechoh), commanding the angel who had et to loose the four angels, WHO WERE PREPARED FOR R, AND DAY, AND MONTH, AND YEAR, for to slay the third men (Israel was entitled the third part of men by Isaiah, er. 24). Accordingly they loosed the Chaldees, Syrians, Moand Ammonites, who, under the command of Nebuchadnezzar, NINTH YEAR of his reign, in the TENTH MONTH, on the I DAY of the month, conquered Jerusalem and destroyed the temking the king and principal persons prisoners, as stated in the sixth Nebuchadnezzar having been excited to undertake this expedition he conquests of Nechoh king of Egypt, it would appear that the -er was the instrument of the angel who received the command to se those who were bound on the Euphrates. The number of these ople is stated as innumerable; for indeed they were composed of all ations. Yet, notwithstanding this destruction, "they repented not of heir sins."-ch. ix. ver. 2. Thus concludes the declaration of the sixth trumpet; and here the announcement "The second woe is past" should follow (as that of the first succeeded the destruction of Israel, fifth seal). But, before this was uttered, a mighty angel, having the gospel in his hand, came down from heaven (ch. x. ver. 1), and, restraining sin and flesh (x. 5), solemnly announced "that there should be time no longer, but in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall BEGIN to sound."-ver. 7. The voice from heaven now told John to take the gospel from the angel, and eat it up. He found it sweet in his mouth, because it tasted of eternal life; but, when he had swallowed it, his belly was embittered by the feeling that it contained the sufferings of Christ. ver. 9, 10. Thus charged with prophecy he was desired to prophesy AGAIN, and a rod was given to him (ch. xi. ver. 1), with which he was directed to limit the altar and those worshipping thereat, but to leave the space without the temple unlimited; thus showing that the Jews should be circumscribed, but that the Gentiles in all the world should receive the benefit of the covenant. In order to assure him of this, the Two WITNESSES are described by a statement of their authority, and such a detail of their temporal sufferings and ultimate triumph as confirmed their identity in Jesus the Redeemer and John the Baptist. This having been done, the conclusion of the sixth trumpet was announced:-" The second woe is passed, and behold another cometh in consequence of these things" (ver. 14), -still showing that even in the gospel dispensation the dregs of the evils entailed by Manasseh would continue, till the third woe-the awful day of judgment. This communication having been made to John at the period of time when this seal was opened, and immediately before the announcement of the last verse of the sixth trumpet, proves that John was translated in the Spirit to a POINT OF TIME which, 584 years before Christ, closed the destruction of Jerusalem, and that this was the POINT OF SIGHT from which he took a retrospective and prospective view of the vision.

When the Lamb opened THE SEVENTH SEAL, there was silence in heaven for the space of half an hour. THE SEVENTH TRUMPET announced the advent. Here the BEASTS, or KINGS who formerly took the lead of the ceremonial worship, discontinued this office; and, as the trumpet sounded, the twenty-four elders fell on their faces and worshipped God, saying, "We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, who art, and wast, and art about to come, because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them that destroy the flesh. And the Jesus of God was discovered in heaven; and there was seen in his Jesus the ark of his testament: and there were glories, and praises, and honours, and powers, and great chastening."-xi. 17-19.

"The silence in heaven for half an hour" was accompanied by a general peace all over the world at the time of Christ's birth, when a multitude of the heavenly host proclaimed "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men."-Luke ii. 14.

When I reflect on the subject-matter of the six seals and trumpets, demonstrating the watchfulness of our heavenly Father and the mighty works he did for the welfare of his people, and find that with reference to the seventh seal the seventh trumpet announces that there was silence in heaven for half an hour, I cannot help observing the harmony of Scripture, on recalling to mind that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.

OBSERVATIONS.

This book is by the translators of the received edition considered to be a prediction of future events, which is only true of the latter part, where circumstances are more clearly and beautifully explained relative to the resurrection and future state than we could have conceived from the contents of the other books of Scripture. The opinion of the futurity of the whole arose from that blindness which God no doubt designed in order that the churches of this day should, by the second vision (ch. iv. 2), obtain a review of his pure truth, as did the seven churches of Asia by the first vision. i. 10.

The first line of the Apocalypse in the received translation, and also in mine, is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God GAVE unto him." This implies a past action; and to suppose that still more was to be given than he taught while on earth is irreconcilable with the words of our blessed Saviour uttered in fervent prayer, " I have glori

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pher pho ma sanaya:, and a od was goren kmlin 19 yhsich ne was directed as imit the aitar Philento terrigenting thesant, hand to leave the space without the tempe tetreated, treng aherming that the Jewe thould be circumscribed, c Meet the tatha in all the world should receive the benefit of the brabrand in tadbe to nasure him of this, the TWO WITNESSES are doubrotund bryn atatement of their authority, and such a detail of ther temporal mutterings and ultimate triumph as confirmed their identity in Shaun the Rodormer and John the Baptist. This having been done, The conclusion of the sixth trumpet was announced: “ The second won in maand, and behold another cometh in consequence of these Naloga (00.10, still showing that even in the gospel dispensation the droge of the evils entailed by Manasseh would continue, till the third won the awhd day of judgment. This communication having been made to John at the period of time when this seal was opened, mond mmediately before the announcement of the last verse of the * pe proves that John was translated in the Spirit to POINT OF TIME which 384 years before Christ, closed the destruction and ohne ein was the POINT OF SIGHT from which be

twe view of the vision. ****** STM SEAL, there was silence hoven for the space of half an hour. Tur SEVENTH TREAT umowed the advent. Here the Beasts, or KINes who icne. took the lead of the ceremonial worship, discontinued this dice: the trumpet sounder the twenty-four elders fell on their

And the Jesus of God was discovered in heaven; and there was seen in his Jesus the ark of his testament: and there were glories, and praises, and honours, and powers, and great chastening."-xi. 17-19.

"The silence in heaven for half an hour" was accompanied by a general peace all over the world at the time of Christ's birth, when a multitude of the heavenly host proclaimed "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will towards men."-Luke ii. 14.

When I reflect on the subject-matter of the six seals and trumpets, demonstrating the watchfulness of our heavenly Father and the mighty works he did for the welfare of his people, and find that with reference to the seventh seal the seventh trumpet announces that there was silence in heaven for half an hour, I cannot help observing the harmony of Scripture, on recalling to mind that in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the seventh day and hallowed it.

OBSERVATIONS.

This book is by the translators of the received edition considered to be a prediction of future events, which is only true of the latter part, where circumstances are more clearly and beautifully explained relative to the resurrection and future state than we could have conceived from the contents of the other books of Scripture. The opinion of the futurity of the whole arose from that blindness which God no doubt designed in order that the churches of this day should, by the second vision (ch. iv. 2), obtain a review of his pure truth, as did the seven churches of Asia by the first vision. i. 10.

The first line of the Apocalypse in the received translation, and also in mine, is "The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God GAVE unto him." This implies a past action; and to suppose that still more was to be given than he taught while on earth is irreconcilable with the words of our blessed Saviour uttered in fervent prayer, " I have glori