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Seven angels with feven vials full of the wrath of God", which are poured out fucceffively; almoft in the fame manner and with the fame effects as happened before, when the feven trumpets were founded. After all the feven had been poured out, there appeared a woman, fitting on a beaft; clothed in purple and fcarlet, and adorned with gold, precious ftones, and pearls; in her hand the held a golden cup full of abominations, and the filthiness of her fornications; and upon her forehead was her name thus written, 'Myf

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tery! Babylon the Great, the mother ' of harlots, and abominations of the ' earth!' Babylon the Great is deftroyed; on which event heaven refounds with fongs of praise. And now He, who with his heavenly armies had caused the deftruction of Babylon, returns to heaven.-This fection is almoft entirely compofed of images and ex

▾ Chap. xv-xix.

preffions

preffions from Ifaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel.

Again (third vifion*), an angel came down from heaven, who had the key of the bottomlefs pit, and a great chain. He laid hold on the dragon, who is Satan, and bound him. Thus bound, he caft him into the bottomlefs pit, where he was to remain a thousand years; and after that be loofed again for a fhort time. Thrones appear; and they to whom a power of judgment is committed, feated themselves thereon. The fouls of thofe who had been flain on account of the doctrine of Jefus revived, and ruled with Chrift a thousand years. But the reft of the dead did not live again until the thoufand years had expired. This was the firft refurrecttion. After the expiration of the thoufand years, Satan will be loofed from his imprisonment, and

* Chap. xx.-end of the book.

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feduce

feduce the nations which are in the four ends of the earth.-Then he beheld a white throne, and He fat thereon from whofe look earth and heaven fled. The dead, great and small, stand before the throne; books are opened, according to which they are to be judged. One book, in particular, is opened", the book of life; and whoever was not found written therein was caft into the lake of fire, together with Death and the Grave.-Now appeared to him a new heaven, and a new earth. And he beheld the holy city, the new Jerufalem, come down out of heaven from God: its wall was of jafper; the city itself, pure gold; each of its twelve foundations was a precious ftone, jafper, fapphire, &c.; each of its twelve gates a pearl ; and the streets of gold.

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y Chap. xx. 12, and following verses.

Z i Mapyapins means in the Chaldee not only a pearl, but likewise a precious stone; fee Buxtorf lex. talmud. in v. But here it is exprefsly distinguished from the precious ftones, 0 w, chap. xxi. 21. comp. ver. 19, 20.

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But no temple was there; for God and the Lamb are its temple.-The groundwork of the imagery here also is taken chiefly from Ifaiah and Ezekiel; but the poetical drefs in which it is clad, the precious ftones, pearls, &c. is the author's own production.

The book concludes with this affertion, "I teftify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man fhall add unto these things, God fhall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book and if any man fhall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy,. God fhall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. He which teftifieth these things faith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even fo,

Come Lord Jefus."

a Chap. xxi. 22, and following verses.

SECT.

SECT. II.

The Interpretation of the Book of
Revelation.

NEVER did a book exift on whose contents fuch different opinions have been formed. In the earlier times of Christianity, when its followers were perfecuted by the Roman Emperours, the Revelation was confidered as a prophecy of the speedy deftruction of Gentile Rome. Irenæus thought that the number fix hundred three fcore and fix " indicated AATEINOΣ. How it was underftood after Chriftianity itself had afcended the imperial throne in the perfon of Conftantine, is unknown. But when the Romish Bishops had erected the horrid

Adverf. hæref. v. 26. 30.
See above, p. 192.

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