THE APOCALYPSE, &c, PART VII. SECTION I. The Lord descends to Battle and Victory. 11 ΚΑΙ εἶδον τὸν ἐρανὸν ἀνεῳγμένον, καὶ ἰδὲ ἵππΘ λευκὸς, καὶ ὁ καθήμεν. ἐπ ̓ αὐτὸν, καλέμενα πισὸς καὶ ἀληθινὸς, καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ κεί 12 ναι και πολεμεῖ. Οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτῶ [ὡς] φλόξ πυρός, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτῇ διαδήματα πολλὰ ἔχων ὄνομα γεγραμμένον, ὃ ἐδεὶς οἶδεν, εἰ μὴ αὐτός. 13 Kai wep CeCanμένα ἱμάτιον βε βαμμένον αἵμαι· καὶ καλεῖται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτῷ· Ὁ Λόγω το 14 Θε. Καὶ τὰ sexτεύματα ἐν τῷ ἐξανῷ ἠκολέθει αὐτῷ CHAP. XIX. VER. 11-18. 11 And I saw heaven opened, and lo! a white horse! and he who sate upon him, called Faithful and True; and in righteousness doth he judge 12 and make war; his eyes [as] a flame of fire, and on his head many diadems, having a name written, which no one knoweth but 13 himself: And clothed with a garment dipped in blood: and bis name is called THE WORD OF GOD. 14 And the armies which were in heaven, followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine white linen [and pure]; 11 And I saw heaven opened; and behold, a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True; and in righte ousness he doth judge 12 and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire; and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew but he himself: 13 And he was clothed with a vesture dipt in blood and his name is called, The Word of 14 God. And the armies which were in heaven, followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and ἐφ ̓ ἵπποις λευκοῖς, ἐνδεδυμένοι βύσσινον λευκὸν [καὶ καθαρόν]. 15 Καὶ ἐκ τῶ δόματα αὐτῷ ἐκπορεύεται ῥομφαία οξεία, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῇ παλάξῃ τὰ ἔθνη· καὶ αὐτὸς ποι μανεῖ αὐτὸς ἐν ῥάβ δω σιδηρά και αυτ τὸς παλεῖ τὴν ληνὸν τα οἶνε τὸ θυμε [καὶ τῆς ὀργῆς τὸ Θεό τι] παντοκρά 16 τορα. Καὶ ἔχει ἐπὶ τὸ ἱμάτιον καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν μηρὸν αὐτῆ ὄνομα γεγραμμένον Βασιλεὺς βασιλέων και Κύριθ κυρίων. 17 Καὶ εἶδον ἕνα ἀργε λον ἐςῶτα ἐν τῷ ηλίῳ καὶ ἔκραξε φωνῇ μεγάλη, λέγων πᾶ τι τοῖς ὀρνέοις τοῖς πελωμένοις ἐν μεσα βανήματι Δεῦτε συναχθηκε εἰς τὸ δεῖπ καὶ τὸ μέγα τῇ Θερ 18 Ινα φάγηλε σάρκας βασιλέων, και σάρ και χιλιάςχων, καὶ σάρκας ἰσχυρῶν, καὶ σάρκας ἵππων καὶ τῶν καθημένων ἐπ ̓ αὐτῶν, καὶ σάρκας πανίων, ἐλευθέρων τε και δόλων, και μικρῶν καὶ μεγάλων. 15 And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with an iron rod: and he treadeth the press of the wine of the anger [and indignation] of the Almighty [God]. 16 Aud he hath upon his garment, and upon his thigh, a name written, KING OF KINGS, and LORD OF LORDS! 17 And I saw one angel standing in the sun : and he cried out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds, which fly between heaven and earth; 66 Came, be ga"thered together to "the great supper of 18" God; That ye may "eat flesh of kings, “ and flesh of con"manders, and flesh "of mighty men, and "flesh of horses, and "of those who ride 15 clean. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the wine-press of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty 16 God. And he hath on his vesture, and on his thigh a name written, KING OF KINGS, AND 17 LORD OF LORDS. And I saw an angel stand : ing in the sun and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the fowls that fly in the midst of heaven, Come and gather yourselves together unto the supper 18 of the great God; That ye may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses, and of them that sit on them, and the flesh of all men, both free and bond, both sinall and great. We are now arrived at that signal and expected point of the prophecy, to which the preceding parts seem principally to tend, and in which they have their completion; the grand and decisive combat between the Christian and antichristian powers. Here the seven Seals, seven Trumpets, seven Vials, and all their accompanying warnings, unite. Heaven opens, and the white horse appears, Qualis ab incepto processerat ;-et sibi constat. He is the same white horse, whom we saw proceeding on his career of victory, in the early part of the vision; whose rider "went forth conquering, and for to con quer*." He has been pursuing his destined course, though not always equally in sight;-he now appears again in more splendid array. The Christian Church, again pure ( Aeunois), sees her Messiah in person, leading her forces, and fighting her battles. "Faithful "and true" to his promises †, he now gives more manifest assistance to the cause of his Religion. And while he confounds and destroys his enemies, it is apparent, that "his judgments are righteous." He appears in this passage as a dreadful warrior; yet there is little new in the description; we acknowledge the same King of kings whom we have before seen in other parts of the prophecy. The epithets, elsewhere applied to the Messiah, Ch. vi. 1. + Matt. xxviii. 20. Rev. i. 6; iii. 14. This title is attributed to the conquering Messiah, in ch. xvii. 14. The conquerors of the East had vainly usurped it. On a tombstone of Cyrus in the city of Pasargade was a Persic inscription ending with this Greek line, Ενθαδ ̓ Εγω κειμαι, Κυρος βασιλευς βασιλήων Strabo, lib. 15. p. 100. The Messiah, are here collected, and so arranged as to display his glory, his power, and his anger, terrible to his unrepentant foes. He leads his armies, the faithful and pure Christians*, to assured victory; victory so decisive, that none of his enemies escape. The birds, who prey on flesh, are bidden to a banquet on their carcases t. The angel stationed in the sun, betokening the light and knowledge which shall then beam upon mankind, invites all the world to join true Religion, and partake the victory. The Asiatic monarchs followed the example; and medals also of Parthian kings, of Tigranes, of Pharnaces, &c., are found with the same title inscribed. Pinkerton on Medals, vol. i. p. 203. See ch. i. 14. 16; ii. 12. 17, 18. 27; iii. 7. 12. 14; xiv. 19, 20; xvii. 14; and the notes. Compare also Is. lix. lxv. 17. Ixiii. 1, &c. * Ch. xii. 13. xix. 8. † Ézék. xxxix. 17, 18. PART VII. SECTION II. The Conflict, and the Victory over the Wild-beast and his False Prophet. taken, and the false prophet who was with him, he who wrought the wonders before him, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast, and who wor shipped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brim21stone. And the remnant were slain by the sword of Him who sate upon the horse, which sword proceedeth from his mouth and all the birds were filled with their flesh. the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning 21 with brimstone. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse; which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh. After the appearance of the Messiah and his armies, the armies of the worldly powers, under the beast, the false prophet, and the kings, who are mustered by the spirits of demons to the great battle†, come in view. But the conflict, for which so vast preparation had been made, is finished in an instant. The leaders, they who There is great propriety and sublimity, in this rapidity of victory. An inventor would probably have dwelt upon this conflict, and have described it in a variety of detail: but this is a victory in which the arm of Omnipotence is displayed; and of which it may be said without extravagance, Venit, vidit, vicit. |