Images de page
PDF
ePub

"thunderings, saying, Alleluia, for the Lord God "Omnipotent reigneth."* The song of the harpers is carried on through the whole period of the seven vials.

After hearing the words of the song, the Apostle immediately saw the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony opened in heaven. This denotes the opening of the Holy of Holies, or innermost sanctuary, in which was the ark of the testimony; by which internal mark we learn that this passage synchronizes with chap. xi. 19, where the temple is also opened; and as this was not done till after the seventh angel sounded, we may hence conclude with absolute certainty that the seven vials all belong to the period of the seventh trumpet, and are the constituent parts of the third woe: for no sooner is the temple opened than the Apostle sees the seven angels coming out of it, having the seven plagues. They are clothed with pure and white linen, to denote the righteousness of the dreadful judgments which they are to inflict; and their breasts are girded with golden girdles, to signify their constant readiness to fulfil the behests of the Most High. The whole ceremonial of this awful vision is adjusted in such a manner as is calculated to fill the mind with holy fear; and to show that the dreadful judgments symbolized by the vials, are inflicted by the immediate hand of God, one of the four living creatures, or cherubim, nearest to the throne, gives unto the seven angels seven golden vials, or bowls, full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.

*Rev. xix. 6.

In a former part of this work, I have endeavoured to prove, that the different compartments of the temple were symbolical of the several conditions and states of the Church; and that the Holy of Holies, besides being a symbol of heaven, is also a figure of that future and most glorious state of the Church on earth when the tabernacle of God shall be with men. Now the opening of the Holy of Holies, which we have seen to take place in the passage we are considering, denotes the near approach of that blessed period, and might have been supposed to signify its actual commencement, if nothing had been said to the contrary. But to prevent this mistake, we are informed, at the close of the passage, that "the temple was filled with "smoke from the glory of God, and from his "power and no man was able to enter into the "temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels "were fulfilled, or were finishing." By this we may understand, that the above glorious state of the Church, which is symbolized by men entering the Holy of Holies, shall not commence till the end of the vials, i. e. till the treading of the wine-press in the day of Armageddon. The fact seems to be, that the Church of Christ must be purified by judgment from the admixture of the tares, before she is fitted for the glorious rest then prepared for her; and accordingly we learn, in another part of the Scriptures, that when Christ takes his fan into his hand, he will thoroughly purge his floor, and separate the chaff from the wheat, before he gathers the wheat into his garner. The above opening of * Matthew iii. 12.-I am always happy to support my opi

the Holy of Holies denotes, as I have mentioned before, the beginning of the return of the Church from the wilderness. The entering of men into the temple takes place when the elect of Christ are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb.*

nions by the very respectable authority of Bishop Horsley. That learned writer, in his Commentary on the Eighteenth of Isaiah, says, that " God, immediately before the final gathering of his elect from the four winds of heaven, will purify his Church by such signal judgments as shall rouse the attention of the whole world, and in the end strike all nations with religious awe."

It is probable that I may place some short supplementary remarks to this chapter, in an appendix to this volume. It is now printed without alteration, as it was in my first edition, published in 1813. But while these sheets are passing through the press, some new thoughts offer themselves to my mind.

CHAPTER XVIII.

THE EFFUSION OF THE VIALS.

"AND I heard a great voice out of the temple,

[ocr errors]

saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and "pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the "earth. And the first went, and poured out his "vial upon the earth: and there fell a noisome "and grievous sore upon the men which had the "mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. And the second angel "poured out his vial upon the sea; and it became "as the blood of a dead man': and every living "soul died in the sea. And the third angel

66

[ocr errors]

poured out his vial upon the rivers and fountains "of waters; and they became blood. And I "heard the angel of the waters say, Thou art

66

66

righteous, O Lord, which art, and wast, and "shalt be, because thou hast judged thus: for "they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, "and thou hast given them blood to drink; for 'they are worthy. And I heard another, out of "the altar, say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, "true and righteous are thy judgments. "the fourth angel poured out his vial upon the "sun; and power was given unto him to scorch "men with fire. And men were scorched with

66

And

great heat, and blasphemed the name of God,

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

66

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

"which hath power over these plagues; and they repented not, to give him glory. And the fifth 'angel poured out his vial upon the seat of the "beast; and his kingdom was full of darkness, "and they gnawed their tongues for pain, and 'blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pains and their sores, and repented not of their "deeds. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water "thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings "of the east might be prepared. And I saw three "unclean spirits, like frogs, come out of the mouth "of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, "and out of the mouth of the false prophet: for "they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, "which go forth unto the kings of the earth and "of the whole world, to gather them to the battle "of that great day of God Almighty. Behold I 66 come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth “and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked "and they see his shame. And he gathered them called in the Hebrew

66

together into a place, "tongue Armageddon. And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came "a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from "the throne, saying, It is done; and there were "voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there "was a great earthquake, such as was not since

66

men were upon the earth, so mighty an earth"quake and so great. And the great city was "divided into three parts, and the cities of the "nations fell; and Great Babylon came in remem"brance before God, to give unto her the cup of

« PrécédentContinuer »