us that we must look for its ultimate and complete fulfilment in that blessed state, in which God shall wipe away all tears from our eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. In this In this respect, it appears to partake of the nature of a double prophecy, like that of Isaiah, from which so much of the imagery is borrowed. Nor is there any thing inconsistent in this application of a prophecy, forming part of a system, which itself professes to point out the fulfilment of former prophecies, and to exhibit the concluding scene of the mysterious dispensations of God. Because this particular prophecy relates to events, which, in whatever point of view they are considered, are yet future; and, therefore, may be expected to exhibit all the peculiar features of unfulfilled prophecy. This, so far from being an objection, either to this particular prophecy, considered as constituting a part of a grand scheme, of which the great end and object is the Redeemer and his everlasting kingdom, or to the divine character of the book itself which contains it,-is an additional argument in its favour; and, in the harmony which it exhibits with former prophecies, affords an evidence of peculiar weight in support of the divine character of prophecy under both dispensations. But, moreover, this prophecy, in this application of it, displays a remarkable uniformity with the preceding prophecies of this book, in which we have seen that later prophecies are frequently explanatory of those which precede them; and in the sublime and affecting picture which it presents of the glories and happiness of the later period of the Gospel dispensation, affords a remarkable confirmation of those brief, but satisfactory assurances, which are given in former prophecies, of the complete and glorious triumphs of the Gospel even in this world; at the same time that it directs our attention to that blessed state, in which all these hopes and prospects will be realized in their fullest perfection, in the happiness and glory of eternity. It will be important to establish the truth of these observations, by an examination of the prophecy itself. 1. In the first place, then, in the opening of the vision, the prophet describes himself as beholding "a new heaven and a new earth." Now, although this expression may relate, as it sometimes does', to the great change which will take place on the dissolution of this present material globe; yet it is in other passages of the ancient prophets, expressive of those great changes which will take place in the moral world, in that flourishing and triumphant state of the Church, which we believe will prevail before the great consummation of all things. Such is evidently the sense in which it is used by Isaiah". In the same manner, with regard to the spiritual or "heavenly Jerusalem," which the prophet "beheld coming down from heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband;" it is not only used in this book, (as it is also, besides this passage, in the nineteenth chapter,) as descriptive of that renewed state of the Christian Church, which all prophecy leads us to look forward to, but the same is also the continual language of the ancient prophets: and it is also the view of St Paul, who expressly contrasts with the earthly Jerusalem, which was "in bondage with 1 2 Pet. iii. 13. 2 Isai. LXV. 17-25. 66 her children," "the heavenly Jerusalem, which is the mother of us all;" even that spiritual Church, which would be enlarged by the accession of the Gentiles into it. The expressions also, which follow, of “ God dwelling amongst men;" of his "wiping away all tears from their eyes";" of his "giving to him that is athirst of the water of life freely";" of his being "the God of the children of men, and of their being his children;" are all used in the language of ancient prophecy with regard to that happy condition of things, which will accompany the establishment of the Redeemer's kingdom upon earth. But, both in the language of ancient prophecy, and more particularly in this sublime passage of the Apocalypse, they evidently look to a more complete fulfilment in that blessed state, in which, in the fullest sense of the expression, "there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying;" and in which the righteous shall behold for ever the immediate presence of their Redeemer and their Gods. 2. Secondly, with regard to the vision which is exhibited to the Apostle, of the New Jerusalem, he describes himself as being carried away in the spirit by the angel to a great and high mountain, where he saw "that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." Such also was the privilege which was vouchsafed to Ezekiel, when "the hand of the Lord was upon him, and, in the visions of God, brought him into the 3 Compare Isai. Lii. 1-10. Liv. 1, and the chapter throughout. Gal iv. 25, 26. 4 Lev. xxvi. 11, 12; Ezek. xxxvi. 26-28; 2 Cor. vi. 16; John xiv. 23; Rev. vii. 15. 5 Isai. xxv. 6-8. xxxv. 10. 6 Isai. xii. 3. Lv. 1; John iv. 1014. vii. 31. 7 Zech. viii. 8. 8 The chapters of Isaiah from chap. xxv. to chap. xxvii. inclusive, afford a most interesting example of this union of the double sense of prophecy. land of Israel, and set him upon a very high mountain," and exhibited to him the vision of the holy city1. Vitringa supposes the angel, who exhibits this vision to St John, to be the same with that, who had exhibited the mystical Babylon to him in the wilderness. He now exhibits the Church, the bride of Christ, clothed in heavenly beauty and splendour: and the description which he gives of this splendid vision, of which the subject is the heavenly Jerusalem, the bride and the spouse of the Lamb, adorned in all her magnificence, and richness, and beauty of decoration, is worthy of the sublime object; which comprehends, in its full perfection, every thing which the prophets have said with regard to the purity, the excellence, and the glories of the Church of the Redeemer2. The vision of the city, which was exhibited to Ezekiel, as we have observed, at the same time that it was intended to afford to the Jewish people a model for the re-building of the Temple, and to prescribe rules for the regulation of their worship, as well as to give them an assurance of their return to their own land, and of the re-establishment of their religion, had also a farther view to that universal extension of religion, which the word of prophecy assures us will prevail, when the true Church will be enlarged by the accession of the Gentiles into it, and both Jews and Gentiles shall be gathered together into one fold, under one Shepherd, Jesus Christ our Lord. This, as it appeared is evident from some parts of it, which evidently have a spiritual meaning in view, and from others, which will not admit of a literal interpretation3. But the description which St John has given of the 1 Ezek. XL. 1, 2. 2 Vitringa, pp. 893, 4. 3 See above, pp. 23, 24. heavenly Jerusalem, rises far beyond this in sublimity and splendour; and combines all the most glorious images, which have been used by former prophets, in speaking of the Christian Church, with all the other beauties which it derives from its own peculiar character as a Christian prophecy, and, therefore, exhibiting a nearer and a more spiritual view of the future and eternal glories of the Redeemer's kingdom. 1. In the first place, the city is described as "having the glory of God: and her light was like unto a stone, most precious, even like a jasper stone, clear as chrystal; And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of Israel: And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb." In like manner, the city which was exhibited to Ezekiel, had a wall, and twelve gates named after the twelve tribes of Israel'. But how inferior was it in glory to that which was exhibited in vision to St John, "having the glory of God, and with its wall built on twelve foundations, which had in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb;"-symbolical of that "salvation," which God will "appoint" to his Church "for walls and bulwarks," and of that strength, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail; which is "built on the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone"." 2. reed, pro The angel, then, "with a golden reed", 4 Ezek. xL. 5. Ib. xLviii. 31-34. 5 Isai. xxvi. 1. LX. 18; Matt. xvi. 18; Ephes. ii. 20. 6 Comp. Ezek. XL. 3. |