lbo• that both are intended. Oftr the our Lord, "These are -the words whicll I toutll put of tile earth. There is a general 1pake unto you, while:! wu yet-with you; eoll86DBtla of opinion that thia expffl!llion be- that 'all thing■ must be ,fulfilled which were tokens a part of· mankind. Why the /ourfl,, written iu the Law of M:011811, and in the pm,- part ia aelectod ia cliffieult to say. Alford pheta, and in the pll&lma, concerning me l' Hggeats that a reference is intended to the (Luke xxiv. 44); and would BBY, ~I am four flnt aeals, each one of whioh embraces oommiaaioned to relate these visions of the in ita aotion a port!)ll nf mankind. But the present and future trials of all in the. world, -mat seal can hardly be interpreted in thia way. Probably the intention ia to denote which, however, have been al~r foretold you by our blealed Lord hiUlll61f.' . ·• ·While, tbat a part of man.kind m118t be afflicted in therefore, this;pauage may be understood this pe.rtionlar way, though no definite pro- literally, lince doubt1888 the Ohuroh baa portion is signified. In other words, the eulfered all il1eae affliction■ at diierent IIBOOlld, third, and f-Ollrih lllRU depict troubles time■, in dift'erent members of hu body, 79' .whioh Christians and all m11nkind will have we must understand the118 four typiaal ,judg• to undergo; aome being afflioted more eape- mente to be repreeentative of .trouble m ·all cially in one way, othera in another. '.l'he its form■; the fourfold character pointiag to troubles mentioned are not an exbanatin .it.I univ81'11al nature (aee on eh. v. 9). 'l'hil mtalogue, but are typical of all IIOD'OWB: ha.a led many .writen to tee in theae inftio. the selection being probably prompted by tiona vial• .of a epiritual nature-a view the Old Testament pasMge& quoted below, which may well be :included in the. proper via. Lev. xxvi. 23-26; 2 &m. xxiv. 18; application, but must not be pre.88ed to the and :Ezek. xiv. 21. .. The fourth part" ia an exclusion of any other more literal interpre- expN11eion found only in thia passage. tation. We may thus sum up the ?88Ulta of Ziillig agrees with Alford in the explana- our invemgation of theae eight versea. They tion gi'i'en above; Hengstenberg, and 110me- relate the circumetttnoes attending the open• what aimilarly Volkmar, think it denotes ing of the firat four aeals, and doubtleu the partial ollamoter of· this jud,,"'lllent. typify nrious phaaes of ilie trial■ which am Elliott, with very little reason, follows the permitted by God to afflict Christians OD Vulgate reading, "over th1i four parts of the earili in oomrnon with all mankind. Eaoh earth ; " lsaao Williams also thinks the judg- of the fmR vision■ is preceded by the.invita- ment is universal, since that ia the idea that tion of one of the four living. beinga. which the number /our signifies, whioh; however, are representative of Olllatiou ; and a seoond u a.diiferent thing Jroin a /ourtA part. 'lo feature oommon to these four visions i■ the kilhritil 1word, and with hunger, and with appearance of a rider u the pe1110nifioation death, and with the beastl of the earth. of ihe idea Mt forth. (1) The visions open The pasMge is another example of the in- with a personifiration i>f Ohrimawity, and ftuenoe of the prophecy of Ezekiel upon the an assurance of the ultimate victory whioh tlOmposiiion of the AF.YJlll8- In Ezek. it will iain ovet the {X>Wera of the world. xiv. 21 the" four 110re Jndgmei1ta" are" the (2) Then appears a vis10D of 111ar. u one of sword; and the famine, and the noisome the typioul t,oubles of mankind, wbioll will .beaat, and the pestilence." Thie indieu.tes ultimately be. oyetoome by the triumph of the signification of 9..,,,£.,.,, in this place; viz. Christianity. (S) Next follows/ami,ie with desth by pestilence, not, as in t1ie prcced• all its attendant evils, though it is not per• ing pasilllge, denth in any form (comp. Lev. mitted to extend to ·the extremity of the xxvL 28-26, where the j11dgments threat• extirpation of mankind. (4) Fourthly comes ened are the 1word, pestilence. and faruine. death in every form-'a trilll of which every Cf. also the alternative punishments of one feels the weight at some time. These David (2 Sam. xxiv. 18); also 4 E8llr. n. 5, four do not picture OOli&ecutiveevents; they "the sword, and hunger, and death, and may be suOOCll8ive or oonourrent; the·Jint is destruction"). '.l'he wiM beallt o/ tlui earth certainly being fulfilled side by aide widl (e,,p1-) is very probably a refeience to the tho othe111. We may, therefore, be alileito death of lQ8IIY Christiana iu the pagan am- point to a partieular period or event. as • phitheatre■: though the moaning is not fulfilment of any one of these, but we oartnot :lleoel!llal'ily restricted to .ihia form of d<Jath. 111111ign definite times to eaoh aa the complete Thoee to whom the Apooolypae was first and ultimate fulfilment, since the triall! which addreesed would irreaiatibly be reminded of are signified mllBt extend to the end.of time. our Lord's words in Matt. xxiv. 7, 18, And, in oonolusion, while the first applica- "Nation ahall rise against nation,and king- tion wa.e doubtleas intended for the suppon dom against kingdom; an:i there shall be of the Christians. of SL John'■ age in tt.etr famines, and pestilenoes, and earthq11akea, temporal diffionHi88, we must oonsider ,the in divers places. ••• lint he thahhall endure .. isiona equally intended tooonaol1l Ohristiam unto the end, the eame shall be saved." It of every ~ aud even to portray the .spiritual ii ue .though SLJohD ffl!oed the words.of oonllioi,deatitotion, and apoetuy whieh-auat 188 ffl REVELA'f.lON; OJ!' ·ST. JOBB THE• nmm [OIL n 1-1'1. alld, 'Will eiJ!riinua.Jly -utae whil1HlwCtiunih tile lll1dt only or the martyrs, llfne,y iheir remains in part in the worli ·· ·· llodies will noi be reunited with their aoala : : Vet.,'9.-AD4 wll.en he had ,opeaei the until the judgmenwlay. }Jeanwbile, the
-i.- MIil R&lj -.i'tMell i. ~ a e in ve!I!. -'a rut (eee ver. II) in peace, yet fn ex- l, 8; 6, 7, which - . The fieoond group of pectation. of· the final MOOmplislnnent of "fiaioua OOIUleoted with the. opening of the their perfeot blia, which the words UJl8d in oommeneea; Thefirat group deah 'ftl'. 10 ■how them to desire. Wordaworlh whh··.-enta more immediately attached to 9.notee (a&.iU11Btrating thil pa888ge) Tertul- tail :life. By the<'l'iaiODB of thedlm four lian, "'l'he eonls of madyra repose in peace !