Bible Commentary (1871–1879 Edition) (continued)
Hie Wicked to Hemain Wicl-ed. EEVELATION XXII. The Spirit and the Bride my, Conit I
(Cf. f. 7.) myrew Rrd Is with me—(Isaiah 10. 10; 62.11. to give Greek, "to render." every man Greek, "to each." 8l>all be—So B in Mai. But B in Tischendorf, and A, Syriae, read " is." 13. I am Alplia Greek, "...
spirits so as to be able to propliesj'. Tliere is but one
8pirit, but individual propliets, according to tlie measure given tliem [1 Corintliiaus 12. 4-U], had their own spirits [Bengel] (1 Peter 1. U ; 2 Peter 1.21). be AnntGrcek, "come to pass." 7. '"And'' is omitted in Otpiic and Andreas with English Version, but is inserted by A, B, Vulgale and Si/riac. blessed—(Ch. 1. 3.) 8. Both here and in the Alpha and the Omega." A, B, Vulgate, Syriae, Origen, and Cyprian transpose thus, " the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Andreas supports English
Versioii. Cf. with these Divine titles assumed here by the Lord Jesus, ch. 1. 8, 17; 21. 6. At the winding up of the whole scheme of revelation He announces Himself as the One before vho7n and after whom there is no God. 14-. do eh. 19. 9, 10, the apostle's falling at the feet of the angel is preceded by a glorious promise to the Church, accompanied with the assurance, that "These are Ihe true sayings of God," and that those are " blessed" who keep them. Hapturous emotion, gratitude, and adoration, at the prospect of tire Church's future glory transport him out of himself, so as all but to fall into an unjusti Jiable act; contrast his opposite feeling at the prospect of the Church's deep fall [Auberlen], ch. 17. 6, where cf. the Note, and on eh. 19. 9,
Ills commandments—So B, Syriae, Coptic, and Cyprian. But A, X and Vulgate read, (Blessed are the.v that) "wash their robes," viz., in the blood of the Lamb (cf. eh. 7. 11). This I'eading takes away the pretext for the notion of salvation by works. But even English Version reading is quite compatible with salvation by gr.ace ; for God's first and grand Gospel "commandment" is to believe on Jesus. Thus our "right" to (Greek, prii-ilege or lawful authority ove^-) the tree of life is due not to our doings, but to what He has done for us. The right, or privilege, is founiied, not on our merits, but on God's grace, through — (rCceA-, "fey the gates." 15. But—.So Coptic. But A, B, HippoLYTUS, Andreas, and C vpri.-vn omit, dogs Greek, " the dogs ;" the impure, filthy (v. 11; cf. Philippiaus S. 2). maketh—including also "whosoever practiseth a lie." [\V. Kelly.] 16. mine angel—for Jesus is Lord of the angels, unto you—ministers and people in the seven representative churches, and, through you, to testify to Christians of all times and places, root . . . oftspring of Uavld—Appropriate title here where assuring His Church of "the sure inercles of David," secured to Israel first, and througU Israel to the Gentiles. Root of David, as being Jehovah ; the oflspring of David as man. David's Lord, j-et David's son (Matthew 2'2. 1'2-15). the morning star—that ushered in the day of grace in the beginning of this dispensation, and that shall usher in the everlasting day of glory at its close. 17. Ueply of the spiritual Church and St. John to Christ's words (v. 7, 12, 16). tlie Spirit—in the churches ami in the prophets, the bride—Not here called " wife," as that title applies to her only when the full number constituting the Church shall have been completed. The invitation "Come" only holds good whilst the Church is
10. saw and heard—A, B, Vulgate, and Syriae transpose thesfe verbs. Translate lit., "I John (was he) who heard and saw these things." It is observable that in ch. 19. 10, the language is, " I fell before his feet to worsliip him:" but here, "I fell down to worship (God?) bnfore the/cct of the angel." It seems unlikely that John, when once reproved, would fall into the very same erroi again. Bengel's view, therefore, is probable ; John had first intended to worship the angel (ch. 19. lU), but now only at his feel intends to worship (God). The angel does not even permit this. 9. Lit., "See not;" the abruptness of the phrase marking the angel's abhorrence of the thought of liis being worshipped however indirectly. Contrjist tlie fallen angel's temptation to Jesus, "Fall down and worship me" (Matthew 4. 9). for—A, B, Vulgate, Syriae, Coptic, Andreas, and Cyprian omit " for ;" which accords with the abrupt earnestness of the angel's prohibition of an act derogatory to God. and of—"and (llie fellow-servant) of thy brethren." 10. Seal not—But in Daniel 12. -1, 9 (cf.
8. 26), the command is, "Seal the l)ook," for the vision shall be "for many days." The fulfilment of Daniel's prophecy was distant, ttiat of John's prophecy is near. The New Testament is the tiineof theend anil fulfilment. The Gentile Cliurch, for which John wrote his Uevelation, needs more to be inrpressed with the shortness of the period, as it is inclined, owing to its Gentile origin, to conform to the world and forget the coming of the Loid. The Revelation points, on the one hand, to Christ's coming as distant, for it shows the succession of the seven still but an aftianced Bride, and not the actually-wedded wife. However, " (^me " ma.v rather be Ihe pra.ver of the Spirit in the Church and in believers In reply to Christ's "I come quickly," crying. Even so, "Come" (u. 7, 12); ». 20 confirms this view. The whole question of your salvation hinges on this, that you be able to hear with Joy Christ's announcement, "I come," and to repl.v, " Come." [BKNfJEL.J Come to fully glorify thy Bride, let htm tliat heitreth i. p., let him that hearcth Ihe Spirit and Bride saying to the Lord Jesus, "Come," join the Bride asatrue believer, become part of her, and so .say with her to Jesus, " Come." Or " heareth " means " obeyeth ;" for until one has obeyed the Gospel call, he cannot pray to Jesus " (Jome ;" so " hear " is used, ch. 1. 'A ; John 10. 16. liCt him that hears and obeys Jesus' voice (v. 16; ch. 1. 3) Join In pra.ying " Come." Cf. ch. 6. 1, Note, 10. In the other view, whlidi makes "Come" an invitation to sinners, this clause urges those who hear savingly the Invitation themselves, to address the same to others, as did Andrew and Philip alter tlu\v had heard and obeyed Jesus' invitation, "(lome," tlHMnsi-l ves. let him that 1h athliKt come—as the Bride, the Church, prays to Jesus "Come," so she urges all whosoever thirst for participation in the seals, trumpets, and vials; on the other hand, it proclaims, ' Behold I come quickly.' .SnChrist marked man.v events as a))Out to intervene before His coming, and yet also saith. Behold I come quickly, hocansi' our right attitude is that of continual prayerful watching for His coming (Matthew 'i'S. (>, i;i, 19; Mark i:i. .!2-37 [AuiilCHl.KNl; cf. ch. 1. S). 11. nnjnst—" unrigh teous ;" in rclat ion to one's fellow-men; opposed to "righteous," or "just" (as the Greek may be translated) below. More literally, "he that
(locth unjustly, let him do unjustly tH\\\." lll Uiy— In relation to one's own soul as unclean before God; opposed to "holy," consecrated to God as pure. A omits the clause " He which is filthy let him bo filthy still." But B supports It. In the letter of the Vienne and liyoiis Martyrs (in Eusebius) In the second century, the reading i.s, "He that is lawless (Gree/c anomos) let lilni be lawless; and he that is righteous let him l)e righteous
(lit., 'be justified') still." No MS. Is so old. A, B, Vulgate, 8yriac, Coptic, Andrioas, and (JypitiAN rend, "let him do righteousness" (1 Jolm 2. '29; .'1 7). Tlie punishment of sin Is sin, the reward of holiness Is holiness. Eternal punishment Is not so much an arbitrary law, as a result ni'cessarily following In tlii very nature of things, as the fruit results from the bud. No worse puiiisliinent can God lay on ungodly men than to give them up to themselves. The solemn lesson derivable from this verse full man I testation of redemption -glory at His coming to us, to (X)MH to Him In the mean time and drink of the living waters, which ari the earnest of "the water of life pure as crystal . . . out of the throne of God and of the Lamb "
(v. 1) in the regenerated heaven and earth. And—So»SV-
Is, Be converted now In the short time left(('. 1(1, end) lielore "I come" (u. 7, 12), or else you must remain unconverted for ever; sin In the eternal world will be loft to Its own natur.al consequences; holiness in g(Min will there develop itself Into jn'rlect holiness, which Is happiness.
riac. But A, B, ri'<i/"<<', and Oipi'c omit "and." ^vhosocver will-1. e.. Is willing and desirous. There Is a descending climax ; Let lilni thsit AcfircWie/rectually and snvlngl.V Christ's voice, pray Indlvhiuatl.v, as the Itrlde, the Church, does collectively, "Come, Lord .lesus" (v. 20). Lot him who, though not yet, having actually heard unto salvation, and so not yet able to loin In the prayer, " Loixi
I'i, And—In none of our MSS. ]!ut A, H, ViiUinte, <S',i/c/(«!,
Coptic, and OYriiiAN omit It. btliold, I come qntckl}' 604