The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 102

fnblra paition aud the Habillty of pil]an iD fa threefold: (1) the name of Go4; (S) thJ the Philadelph.ian templeil to 11UOOwnb t.o name of the new Jernaa.Jem; (3) the na~ the effects of- the frequent earthquakes of Christ. For God was the Chriatiau which took plaoe there (see on ver. 7). Such m&iniaining his warfare; to the Chnrcb, pilLtrs, moreover,:were frequently sculptured the new Jerusalem, was he rendering thia m human shape. (8) Malthew Hen.ry sug- aenice; nnder Obrist, a.a Captain, was ~ geata that & referenoe may be intended tu fight being aooomplished. A.:,aain, the. vio, monumental pillars bearing inscriptions: torions ChriBtian was (1) to belong oom- tlae signification being " & monumental pletely to God; (2) to posseaa the citizeuhip pil~ of the free and powerful grace of of the new Jerusalem; (3) to enter into the God, never to be defa.ced or removed: no& glory of Christ, which was the ffnD ll&IIIO, a snpport-heaven needing no such prop&" that which he knew not yet. We ca.n hel'8 But it seems mnch more likely that St. John t,ace an analogy to the baptismal formu1-. is alluding to the Hebrew temple. In the (1) The,name of God the Father, whose we •ple. The tampla ia ~s, the shrine, the a.re made ; (2) God the Holr Ghost, wtu.e dwelling-plaoe of God, not l•,,?,v, the whole indwelling gnidea and snst.ama his Chnreh, extent of the sacred bnildipgs. The latter tbe new Jerusalem; (3) God the Bon, bf word occurs often in St. John's Gospel, bnt whose Name we shall enter glory. And the never in the Apocalypse. The templ., in the 1111111e of. the city of my God, which ill uw Revelation is the abode of God, the eacred leraaalem; rather, th~ oitu ••• MW J-. shrine into which all may be privileged to ,alem (see Revised Version). In EzeJr. enter, both in this world and in the world xlviii. 85 the name given to the city Jena- to eome. Of my God (see not.e on eh. iii. 2; aalem is Jehovah Shammah, "the Lord is ii 7). And he shall go no more out. " And there;" and in Jer. xxxiil. 16 Jehovah out of it he shaU in no wise go out more!" Tsidkenn, "the Lord our Righteousnes&" 11t1clt-is the full force of the Greek. The EiCher of these may be meant; but, u ~ueror's period of proba.tion will be over, Alford points out. the holy name itself hlWI and lie sh&ll be for ever free from the possi- &!ready been intl('ribed. In any case, the bility of falling away. Trench quotes St. victorious one is to be openlyooknowledged Attguatine: "Qnis non desideret illam civi• & citizen of the new J<:rusalem. The old tatem, nnde amicns non exit, quo inimicns Jerusalem was destroyed, and her oitizeu,11 non intrat?" · Ana I will write upon him scattered; but a new Jerusalem, of which the name of my God ( cf. eh. xxii. ·4, " His the true Lira.elites are the citizens, should -name shall he in their foreheads ; " and eh. reunite the faithful It is noticeable that ix. 4, "Those whioh have not the sea.I of God without exception, throughont the Revela- in their foreheads; " the former rassage re- tion, St. John uses the Hebraic form of the ferring to the elect in· heaven, the latter name 'I,pova-a.A~µ. while in the Gospel •t,po- distingui.ahing Ohristi&na on earth from ,r6Avpa al ways oooUl'B. He almost aeemil t.o their heathen oppressors). In the passage distinguish thus between the earthly Jeru- under ooll8i.deration the action is fnture; it salem and the heavenly-the home of Uie does not refer to holy baptism, but to the true Israel. Which cometh doWll ou of aealing of the faithful UJl(!n their entranoe heaven from my God. "Which cometh into glory-& sealing wh1oh sha.11 aettle for down" (,i Kcrrl&,3alvo111Ta), & grammatical ever, and make all things 1nre. "To write anomaly (cf. ver. 11; eh. ii. 20 and iii. Ii). the name upon" anything iB & common The name "new Jerusalem" ia &lwa)'II figurative expression in Hebrew to denote coupled in the Revelation with the phrue, taking absolute possession of, and making " coming down from heaven" (see eh. completely one's own. Thus Joa.b fears that xxi. 2, 10). The spirituality and holiness Babbah may he called after his name, i.e. of the Church is thus set forth, since ita looked upon 1111 his, if David should he being is wholly due to Goo., in its creation absent at the capture of it (2 Sam. xii 28 ; and sustenance. And I will write uron· or. also Nnmb. vi. 27). The struggling him my new Jlllme ; and mill<! oum RN Christian is encouraged by hearing that a name (Revised Ve1'8ion). This is not aoy time will eome when he will without any of the names given in the RevelatiOD, doubt become God's own, incapable of being but that refel'red to in eh. .xix. I 2, t. iemoved. or daimed by other. In the rab- o~ll,b o11iilv d µ¾, aim/$, which no one knew binioal hook,• Bava Dath:re.,' 75. 2, it is noted except himself. The passage is a promise that there are three applications of tho name that when Christ makes us completely his of God : (1) to the just (Isa. xlili. 7); (2) t.o own by writing his own new name on us, the Messiah (Jer. x:,iii. 6); (3) to Jerusalem he will admit us into his full glory, which (Ezek. xlviii. 3/i). A rl'ference may be in• is at present incomprehensible to us. Such tended to the frontlet of the high priest, comprehension is one of the tMngs "which upon which was inscribed, "Holiness to the shall be hereaftei." (eh. i. 19), and which Lord" (Exod. :uviii. 96). The iwicription ()allllot now be known to us, "for now we lll!:VEL4TI01r, l 114 'l'IlE REVELATION OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. [on. m. 1.:....22.