A Brief Commentary on the Apocalypse Part 26

"The thousand years" to intervene between the two resurrections, are regarded by some as a symbol of 360,000 years. There seems to be no necessity for such an interpretation. When time is symbolized, it is always proportioned to the duration of the other symbols used. Thus, in Dan. 8th, when beasts symbolize kingdoms, it would have been incongruous to have specified the duration of the vision in literal years; for beasts do not continue during centuries, as the kingdoms symbolized by them have done. But days are proportioned to years, as beasts are to kingdoms; so that there is a fitness in symbolizing the years foreshadowed in that vision, by 2300 days; between which measure of time and the duration of the existence of beasts, there is a perfect congruity.

In the 4th of Daniel, where the cutting down of a tree is used to symbolize the loss of the king's reason, there is no such disproportion between the duration of man's existence and that of a tree, as there is between the life of a beast and that of an empire. And therefore there is no incongruity if the time specified is a symbol of literal time, _i.e._, if a time is used to symbolize a year. In this case, the seven years could not have been symbolized by seven days; for there is no marked disproportion between the duration of the other symbols in connection, and the things symbolized; and had days been used, days must have been understood in the fulfilment.

There might be either 1000 years, or 360,000, between the first and second resurrections, without conflicting with any other Scripture. But there is no disproportion between the other symbols and the things symbolized,-the living again of the martyrs in vision, and their actual resurrection; and therefore the 1000 years need not, by any parallel usage or law of language, be understood, to be other than a literal thousand.

The Wicked Raised, and Satan Loosed

"And when the thousand years are completed, Satan will be loosed out of his prison, and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them to battle: the number of whom is like the sand of the sea. And they ascended on the breadth of the earth, and encompa.s.sed the camp of the saints, and the beloved city: and fire descended from G.o.d out of heaven, and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where both the wild beast and the false prophet are, and will be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it; from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away, and a place was not for them. And I saw the dead, the small and the great, standing before G.o.d; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged from the things written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead in it; and death and the pit gave up the dead in them: and they were judged every one according to their works. And death and the pit were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And whoever was not found written in the book of life, was cast into the lake of fire." Rev. 20:7-15.

Verses 11-15 contain the record of the symbolization John saw, of what was to transpire at the end of the thousand years; while verses 7-10 appear to be explanatory of events which would then be fulfilled. This explanation, previous to the exhibition of the symbolization, is appropriate in the connection, and makes more forcible the fact that "the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished."

As the rest of the dead live not till the end of the thousand years, they come forth at "the resurrection of d.a.m.nation," at the end of a thousand years of the reign of the saints on the earth, and at the epoch when Satan was to be loosed from his prison. As all who had part in the first resurrection were to be exempted from the power of the second death, the nations who are then deceived by Satan, must be the nations composing the rest of the dead, who live again at that epoch.

Their number "as the sand of the sea," and their coming from "the four quarters of the earth," show that they are no obscure people, living unknown to the saints; and their existence can only be accounted for by the event of a resurrection of the wicked.

Their names, "Gog and Magog,"-those applied to the ancient enemies of Israel, (Ezek. 38:38),-are appropriate t.i.tles to designate the subjects of the second resurrection.

They encompa.s.s the camp of the saints, and the beloved city-showing that the city descends at the commencement of the thousand years-but there is no battle: before they are permitted to harm the saints, fire from heaven devours them; and the devil that thought to lead them against the holy city, is cast into the lake of fire, where the beast and false prophet were cast at the commencement of the millennium.

In connection with the resurrection of the wicked, is their judgment-not following necessarily in the precise order of the record. The "small and great" who stand before G.o.d, are not small and large persons, but those from all stations and ranks in society. The king and the beggar equally receive according to their deserts: They are the bond and the free, the high and the low, the rich and the poor, including those who fought against the Lamb, and were overcome by Him, 19:18.

The open books symbolize the record of their evil deeds, for which they are to be judged. And the "book of Life" is opened to symbolize that the names of those who are judged are not there recorded, and that consequently they are justly condemned. To "him that overcometh," the Saviour promised "I will not blot his name out of this book of life," 3:3.

The sea, death, and h.e.l.l giving up their dead, indicates that all of the "rest of the dead" are here resurrected, and that none are left out from among whom these are raised, as these were, from whom came forth the subjects of the first resurrection.

The casting of death and h.e.l.l into the lake of fire, symbolizes the casting in of those who were within their domains; and "the lake of fire,"

symbolizes the place into which-the impenitent are consigned-which is the "second death."

The New Creation.

"And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were pa.s.sed away; and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, descending out of heaven, from G.o.d, prepared like a bride adorned for her husband." Rev. 21:1, 2.

The new heaven and new earth are symbols of the new order of things. The old heavens and earth having been dissolved, their elements melting with fervent heat (2 Pet. 3:12), the "new heavens and the new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness," for which Peter looked, succeed to their place.

So much more resplendent are these than the former, that those "shall not be remembered, nor come into mind," _i.e._, to be desired, Isa. 65:17.

This is the eternal state in which we are commanded to be "glad and rejoice forever," when G.o.d shall "create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy." Then "the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying." There "the elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands;" for "as the days of a tree, are the days of my people,"

saith the Lord; who has also declared that, "as the new heavens and the new earth, which I will make, shall remain before me, so shall your seed and your name remain," Isa. 66:22.

The sea is now "no more," in the same sense that the first heavens and earth are pa.s.sed away-all having disappeared in the conflagration, and given place to the "rest.i.tution of all things spoken of by the mouth of all the holy prophets," Acts 3:21. Whether the new creation will comprise both sea and dry land, as was first created (Gen. 1:10), is not here decided; but there is no reason to suppose that this characteristic of the original creation will be forever obliterated.

The new Jerusalem descends, adorned as a bride for her husband. She is shown in the 19th chapter to be "arrayed in fine linen, clean and white"-a symbol of "the righteousness of the saints." As the corrupt Roman hierarchy was symbolized by an adulterous woman (17:3), and also by the corrupt city of Babylon (18:2), so symbols of an opposite character-a chaste bride, and the new Jerusalem-are chosen representatives of the church triumphant, whose Maker is her husband.

Mr. Lord very justly remarks: "The descent of the city is to take place at the commencement of the millennium, manifestly from the representation that the marriage of the Lamb was come, and that his wife had prepared herself, immediately after the destruction of great Babylon, (19:7, 8); from the exhibition of the risen and glorified saints, as seated on thrones, and reigning with Christ during the thousand years; and from the representation of the beloved city as on earth at the revolt of Gog and Magog, after the close of the thousand years."-"_Ex. Apoc._" p. 529.

"Jerusalem, my happy home, O how I long for thee; When shall my sorrows have an end?

Thy joys when shall I see?

"When shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls And pearly gates behold!

Thy bulwarks with salvation strong, And streets of s.h.i.+ning gold?

"O when, thou city of my G.o.d, Shall I thy courts ascend, Where congregations ne'er break up, And Sabbaths have no end?"

The Tabernacle of G.o.d with Men.

"And I heard a loud voice out of heaven, saying, Behold, the tabernacle of G.o.d is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and G.o.d himself will be with them, even their G.o.d. And G.o.d will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying out, nor will there be any more pain: for the former things are pa.s.sed away. And he who sat on the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said, Write, for these words are faithful and true.

And he said to me, It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. I will give to him, who thirsteth, from the fountain of the water of life freely. He, who overcometh, will inherit these things; and I will be his G.o.d, and he will be my son. But the cowardly, and unbelieving, and abominable, and murderers, and fornicators, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, will have their part in the lake burning with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Rev. 21:3-8.

The utterances of the "great voice out of heaven" are not what John saw, but are what he heard; and are therefore to be interpreted, not by the laws of symbols, but by those of tropes and literal language.

The "tabernacle of G.o.d with men" is explained in the same connection to be his "dwelling with them."

"When our Saviour was incarnate, and vouchsafed to dwell amongst the children of men, the same phrase is used by this same author, _Eskeenoose_ (John 1:14), 'The Word was made flesh, and tabernacled amongst us: and we beheld his glory,' etc. We read it, he dwelt amongst us: but rendered more closely, it is, he set his tabernacle amongst us. And that which the Hebrews call the _Shekinah_, or divine presence (Maimon, Mor. Nev. par. 1, chap. 25), comes from a word of the like signification, and found with the Greek word here used. Therefore there will be a _Shekinah_ in that kingdom of Christ."-_Tho. Burnett._

When Israel first entered the wilderness, G.o.d entered into a _covenant_ with them (Ex. 19:3-8), in consequence of which he said to Moses, "Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them," (Ex. 25:8)-the pattern of which was shown Moses in the mount; and when completed "the glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle" (Ex. 40:34), and there "the Lord talked with Moses," Ex. 33:9. Thus did G.o.d dwell among them while they were in a probationary state; but he indicated a more intimate connection with them, by promising, if they were obedient to his statutes in all things, that "I will set my tabernacle among you: and my soul shall not abhor you. And I will walk among you, and will be your G.o.d, and ye shall be my people," Lev. 26:11, 12. This promise was not fulfilled to the Jews, because of their sins; but Paul quotes it (2 Cor. 6:16), and applies it as a promise still to be made good to the church of Christ. Thus, the "Word"

that "was G.o.d," who was made flesh and tabernacled among us at his incarnation, is again to come and dwell with us in his human tabernacle, as at his first advent. Then will G.o.d enter into a new covenant with his people, as he has said: "Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah; not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers, in the day that I took them by the hand, to bring them out of the land of Egypt, which my covenant they brake, although I was a husband unto them, saith the Lord; but this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their G.o.d, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the Lord: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more," Jer. 31:31-34.

As the saints, before the resurrection of "the rest of the dead," "reign with Christ 1000 years," (20:4); it follows that during that period the tabernacle of G.o.d is with men, when he dwells among them, which is an additional evidence that "the rest.i.tution of all things" (Acts 3:21) is at the commencement of the millennium.

This is a tearless state-all tears being then wiped from every eye. Isaiah predicted, when "He will swallow up death in victory," that "the Lord G.o.d will wipe away tears from off all faces: and the rebuke of his people shall he take away from off all the earth: for the Lord hath spoken it.

And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our G.o.d; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation," Isa. 25:8, 9. The commencement of the tearless state is thus placed by Isaiah at the resurrection, and at the appearance of Christ; which is confirmed by Paul, in his inspired commentary on the same, who affirms that at the last trump, "when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pa.s.s the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory," 1 Cor. 15:54. This state was also promised to the entire company "which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Therefore are they before the throne of G.o.d, and serve him day and night in his temple: and he that sitteth on the throne shall dwell among them.

They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, which is in the midst of the throne, shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of waters: and G.o.d shall wipe away all tears from their eyes," Rev. 7:14-17.

There shall then "be no more death"-for that "last enemy shall be destroyed" (1 Cor. 15:26), and there shall be nothing to "hurt nor destroy, in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord." Death will have been swallowed up in victory, (Isa. 25:8)-the redeemed having been ransomed "from the power of the grave," Hos. 13:14. "Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of G.o.d, being the children of the resurrection," Luke 20:36.

After the destruction of death, there shall be "neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain." This was to be when "the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away," Isa. 35:10. And one of these songs was to be: "Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to G.o.d by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue, and people and nation; and hast made us unto our G.o.d kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth," Rev. 5:9,10.

Then, everything which distinguishes the present world from that, will have pa.s.sed away; for all things will be created anew. These words, uttered by Him who is the "Alpha and Omega," are no rhetorical flourishes, nor mere figures of speech, but contain the exact and literal truth, and are not to be set aside as unmeaning figures. For He who sat upon the throne has declared: "These words are true and faithful." Faithful is He who hath promised, and he will surely make good his words-bestowing on the righteous the inheritance of all things; and on the wicked, their fearful doom.

The New Jerusalem.