Churches, I"). In two other places tlie Spirit is represented as speaking, ' I heard a voice front heaven saying, A\ rite. Blessed are the dead that die in the Lord from henceforth : Vfi, saith the Spirit, that they shall re.st from their lalwurs ' (14"). And again at the end (22"), ' the Si)irit and the Bride sa^', Come.' There is thus comparatively little definite allusion to the Spirit in tliis book. What there is, seems to involve the following points: (1) the Spirit in His varioos manifesta- tions proceeds from the Father: (2) Christ huldl the seven spirits, regulates the diverse operations of the Spirit in the Church ; (3) the vaice of the Spirit in the Church is, in a sense, the voice of Christ ; (4) the Spirit joins in the prayer of the Bride. Though somewhat limited in character, these points imply a doctrine which, both in its clearness and obscurity, resembles the doctrine of the Last Discourses (see above).
(c) The remaining points for consideration are those connected with the facts of sin and judg- ment, salvation and the Church. It is better to take these together, owing to the particular form in wliich they come before us. In dealing with the Gospel we noted the use by the author of pairs of parallel but contrasted ideas, such as Light and Darkness, Life and Judgment, This method is carried out in the Apocalypse on a very extended scale. In the visions contained in this work we witness the warfare of two contendin" powers : on the one side is the Lamb, and on tlie other the devil. The devil is described under various names. In 12' we read, ' And another sign was seen in heaven, and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns,' etc. This dragon is identified (12*. cf. 20-) with ' the old serpent, called the devil and Satan, who deceiveth the whole world.' The 'serpent' implies, of course, a reference to the story of the Fall, and this title, therefore, im- plies that the source of the evil in the world is the power that was against God. In other places we hear of a synagogue of Satan (2' 3'), a throne of S.itan (2"), and the place where Satan dwelleth (2") ; a doctrine of Satan, called by those who follow it ' the deep things of Satan' (2-* rd. (iaO^a. roO '^arafa). But this is not all. There is described in this book an organized kingdom of evW, claiming sovereignty over men like the kingdom of the Lamb. Tnis introduces the most tangled of all the questions connected with this book : the inter- pretation of the Beast. We cannot enter upon the various explanations proposed (see Revela- tion), but must confine ourselves to the general question of the position occupied by the Beast in the book. He is the embodiment of the power of the devil (13'') : he aims at winning the homage of the world, and does so win it in a large measure (13*) : he has a certain power to vex the saints — power which is given him {iSiffri aim}, 13'). Further, he has a representative, a second Beast, who works among men in favour of the first (13'^), and does signs (v."), and inspires an image of the first beast with life and speech : he also compels some to receive a mark in their hands or foreheads, and persecutes all otliers (vv."- "). In all this there is traceable a kind of attempt to caricature the nietliods and the kingdom of Christ. One of his heads was u>j iapa-yiiioriv tit eivarov, and the blow of his death was liealed (13*), as if he claimed resurrection. The second Beast has two horns, like the Lamb fl3"). The worship-
Eers who are deceived say, ' Who is like unto the east, and who is able to war with him?' (13*), which caricatures the meaning of the word Michael, — 'who is like unto God,' — Michael having cast the dragon out of heaven. In 16" we find thre« powers spoken of — the dragon, the beast, and ina prophet who occupies the place of the second beasi
JOHN, APOSTLE
JOHN, APOSTLE
69a
Then later, a woman appears seated on a beast, clothed in scarlet, named Babylon the great. Be- tween these two war arises, in pursuaiue of the plans of God (17"). With all the obscurity of details the general sense of this imagery seems dear. The forces of evil in the world talie their origin from Satan ; and the essence of the evil consists in setting up rival claims to worship as against God. This is the force of the caricature of Divine methods. Satan claims to do for men all that God can do. As in the Gospel, tlie final differ- ence between those who fall under the delusions of the Beast and tliose who do not is exiilained by means of predestination. All who dwell upon the earth shaU worship him (theBeaj^t), every one whose name has not been written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world (13', cf. 17"). This, as well as the temporary power of the Beast, his persecution and ultimate ifall, are in the hands of God.
With regard to the judgments of God, it is to be noted that they are retributive in character. During the time before the end the plagues of God come upon the world, and those wlio follow the Beast only blaspheme the more because of them, and fail to rei.ent (16»""-^', cf. 9*> and contrast 11"): pain in their case fails to con- vert. When the end come-s, men are judged (card tA eprya (2U''' 22'-). More precisely, those who have slain tlie saints are given blood to drink (16' 13'") ; those who commit fornication in Thyatiraare cast upon a bed {2-^) ; Babylon is punished with the cup which she mixed for others (18"). The time of probation passes, and then tlie sins themselves are their own punishment : ' He tliat is unjust, let him be unjust still ; and he tliat is filthy, let him be filthy still ' (2-2").