The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 280

of bit Chrllt; the ,alimtiM and the poto61', ver. 10. By the blood of the Lamb; h,om,, and the kingdom of our God, and Ike autho- of ~ blood, et.a. (Revised Version). That rity of hi, Ohrist (Revised Version). 'rhe is, "the blood of the Lamb " is the ground Reviled Version marginal reading may also or reason of their victory, not the instrument. be noticed, No11J ii the salvation • • • become So in: oh. i. 9, " I John ••. was in the island our Goil',, and the authority [i, becomel his oalled Patmos, beeause of the Word of God <JhriBt'11. '.rhe heavenly inhabitants celebrate (!,a Tlw 1,_&,.ov)" (of. eh. vi. 9). Winer agrees the triumphant confirmation of God's supre- with this view of the present pasl!Rge, against macy, which has been vindicated by the Ewald and De Wette (p. 498 of Moulton's defeat and expulsion of the rebellions hosts. translation). "The Lamb," who was "The salvation of God" (,r,.,..,.71p/a) is that seen ••as it bad been slain" (oh. v. 6)- which proceeds from him; "that salvation Ohrist. And by the word of their testimony; which belongs to God as its Author" and on account of the 1110Td, et.a. The one (Alford); cf. eh. vii. 10; xix. 1. "The phrase is the nature.I complement of the authority of hie Christ" is first manifested other. "The blood of the Lamb" wonld in heaven; 811.tan is cast down to the earth, have been shed in vain without the tutimong, and here a!l'ain at a subsequent epoch the the outcome of the faith of his followen; authority of Ohrist is displayed, and another that testimony wonld have been impossible viotory won over the devil. This seems to without the shedding of the blood. Aud be the eonclusion of the heavenly aong. they loved not their lives unto the death ; As before slated (see on ver. 7), the three their life 6t'lltl · unto death. That ifl; they and a ha.lf verses now oonoluded seem to valued not their life in this world, even tD relate to a period previoua to the creation the extent of meeting death fo, the aake of. of the world. It &eellll! equally probable giving their testimony. There ia no article that the following two and a half verses in the Greek, merely 1£xp, Biu,,.,.or; so a1ao refer to those earthly martyrs and suffering in the same phrase in Acts xni. ~- The Christians for whom this book is specially article of the Authorized Verilion in Aots written. These two views oan be reconciled xxii. 4 is probably derived from Wicklitre'a by supposing the &0ng of the heavenly Bible ; that in the present pa11118ge, from t1oice to cease o.t the word "Obrist" (ver. Tyndale's. · 10); and then the writer a.ddti words of hie Ver. 12.-Therefore rejoice, ye heaveu, own, as if he would say, "The cause of the and ye that dwell in them; 0 ,Mat'ffll victorious &0ng which 1 have just recited (Revised Version). Ka:To,,coiivTE~ "tha.t was the fact that the devil was caet down, dwell,'' is read in 1:C, 26, 29, 80, Sl, 98, the same who is constantly aoousing (6 Andreas, Vulgate, Pri.masiwi, Memphitio, ,c11nryopoiv) our brethren. But they (onr Armenian. The Revi881'1 have followed the brethren) overcame him, and valued not eommonreadingof u1C71voii11Tn, "tabernacled," their lives, et.c. Well may ye heavens which is found in the majority of IUAnn- rejoice over your happy lot, though it scripts. Alford observes, "There .is no means woe to the earth for a abort time." sense of transitoriness in St. John's 1l88 of For the aoouser of our brethren ii cast u1nw6,,,, rather one of repose and tranquillity down, which aocuaed them before our God (cf. oh. vii. 15).'' Ka:TC1<T1t71voiivru is found day and night. The one aOCIJling them in C. So in eh. xiii. 6 the a.biding-place of (6 1ta:T71')'0p@v); not the past tense. Satan God is called his t,a'bernack. These are the does not oease to accuse, though he may words ot the writer (see on ver. 10). The not do so with effect, since he may be over- cause for this rejoicing has been given in come by the " blood of the Lamb.'' The ver. 9; the devil having been east out, th~ heavenly beings are henceforth beyond his in heaven enjoy absolute immunity from all reach. He oo.n yet accuse men-i>ur bretb?en -Y• St. John; but even here his power is limited by the victory of the death and harm whioh he oan work. Woe to ihe l.nhabitera of the earth and of the aea I Woe/or the Mrth and/or t/16 ,ea.! (BeTiaecl resurrection of Christ referred to in ver. 5. Version). A few cursives give .,.,;;, UT•f• "Accuser" (,ca:..-{ryopr,s) is fonnd in N, B, 0 1 ,cou,r,11, "to the dwellers." The inflnenoeol P, Andreas, Arethae, The form 1t1&ffl"f"'P• the devil works woe to the whole world-to found in A, is rather the Targumic and the human inhabitants, to the animal and rabbinic corruption of the word ,il•t:1p, than vegetable life of the eartli which wu cursed the Greek word itself. "Of our brethren," for man's aake (cf. Gen. iii 17). J'or the the saints and martyrs (see above); "is cast devil ii eome down unto you, ha-ring f18B1 down" (or," was cast down") from heaven. wrath, beoa.UH he knoweth that he hath but Ver. 11.-And they overoame him (of. a short time; or, MffM dotDfl (aorist). " A the frequent references to those who over- ehort -.on" (ICQlf)&s) in which to exltit ia come, and the promises made to them, eh. the world. Hii wrath, kindled by hit ii.; iii.; m. 7, eto.). The reference "they" ejootment from heaven, u the great., beoaQa iJ lo "our brethre~" 1be 411CU88cl Ollllll of of thll OOID~ti,.. ~ of hit .-P• .earl;b. Thi• ".thort llllllllOtl" ii the period in her pilgrimage. on earth.· The redtli:u1aut of..~ Wll1ld'a9Xiat!lnoo &-om· the advent of .lnu lui, "whece .there," follows the analogy Saliln till tlie final judgment." It ~ ,hqri of the .Hebrew (1188 on· ver. 6). " The time, in comparison, with eternity, and it i,a. fre- ti'm~ and half-a time,'' is the penodelae- ilfflll!tly tbui ,described in the.New: Testa- where described as 42 ,months, .1260 days, ment (Rom, ix;. 2$; 1 Cor. vil. 29 ; <lb.. iii Si years. It den.ow the period of··the 11. et,o.). It ia. the "little time" of eh. vi. existence of this world, (see on eh. u 2), 11: the "little aeaaon" of eh. xx. 3, during The expression is taken·. from Dan, vii. 25 ; wl»o1i Satan auat be looaed. Hereends the xii. 'l. By this verse and ver. 6 ia establillhed ~ o n d~Uve of the struggle in the identity of the two. expressions-1200 h~veu. befpre the creation of the, world, and days.and the time, times, and half a time .&lul following verses take. up anq oontinue .(i.e. one year + two yelll'B + half a year). -~ n&mJ.ti ve whicw. · waa. interrupted after The plural 1<a1pol is need for," two times,'' aa ...... 6. .. . ·, no dnal occurs in the Greek of the New . V.11r. 13.-And when the. dragon nw that Testament (see Winer, p. ,221, Moulton'• iu-...... OU$ llltto the ea.rth, he persecuted translation). The construction," nourished the 'ftllWl which brvu_ght forth the man- from the face" (-rplq,.-ra., li,rb 'lrpr,trlnrav .,..; .e\lild. (For, an explanati(m of the characters illf,~ms), is built upon the analogy of the h87e 1i.U"11ded to. see on the previous verses.) Hebrew. The "serpent" is ihe " dragon" .The devil, defeat!ld in hia a~mpts against of ver. 13 (of. ver. ~. "the great dragon, A~ in heaven, . 11,nd foiled in his aitaok ~11toldserpent,called the Devil,andSato.a ")• .IPW', the man-cmild-,-Christ Jesus ( see ver. The two words are used as convertible f),. ~w dil'.8C;_ts bis e,orts against the woma• terms (cf. ver. 17, wheJe he is again called Y-~ Chj,iroh. ·, 'rhe interpretaUon must " the dragon"). 1 nRt be cpJillned to one peculiar form of evil Ver. 15.-Aud the1erpeilt oalt out of hiB wiiioh assails the Chwoh, b"lli must include month water ae a ftood a.flier the woman., all,~ . bodily ~~uijQns with which that he m!ght oause her to be carried away ,thOtllf.t.o whom·S~ .Tohp ~~ were afflicted, of the flood ; cad-' of his mouth after the -uie· .here,aµit1 :wb,i.c~ 11,tqse, bi. tile Church, the 1DOfl'lan watff aa a rit11Jr ••• carried <SWtJfJ lukewarmness of her lnemben (eh. ili. 16), by the ri_.. A flood, in the Old Tes1mnent, IID.d all 1>thers. . . has several significations. It frequently , Vet~ 14.','-Atllt'to' the woman were given expresses overwhelming misfortune. Thus twll···~ 'Of a· IP'83t. eagle. "The two -Ps. lxix.15, "Lee-·not.the waterfiood o,w. :lwb:lgji of _the great eagle" is found in. most slow me;" xc. 5, "Thou: carriest ·them away authil~ti~ though N omi~ both pie articles. as with a flood tt (of. allo Dan. ix. 116: xi; 22: TJi~1iiymbi>l of We eagle lB a common one Is~ lix. 19; Jer. xlvi. 7;; .A.mos.ix- 5, etc.). ~ 'th:e u_ld T~lint, and; t~is ,n.a.y account The,flood is typical of every form of destruc- for the J>ieselice of the a1·t1cle. · The escap~ tion. with which the"'devil seeks to OY8l'• or the Jewl,h -Ohuroh from ·.the power of whelm ihe Ohurch, of: God. At the period {Pharaoh, ari4 Iier pre!ICrvatj~ in the wilder- of the writing of. the Apocalypse, it plainly beas, are' ref~d to under'a like figure (see symbolized the bitter persecutions to which Exod. x~ ii; Deut. xxxii. 11, "Ye have Christians were subjected; but its meaning seen wha:t J qid qnto the Egyptians, and need not be limited. to thia one form of how I bare ypn on·eaglee' wings, and brought destruction. ThWI •all those writers are :,'Oil unto myseI("). · The natural enmity correct, so far as they go, who interpret the betweeµ'ihe eagle and tlie serpe~ iullnded · fl,ood, of the Mo~an power, of heresy, to by Wordsworth (Wof!hw'orth, in loo., of the Gothic invaaion, etc. where 1ee a full exposition of the symbolism Ver.16.-Andthuarthhelpedthewomu, Ii.ere' employed). "'the two wings" may a:a.d t)ia earth opened her mouth, and ~-the Old and New'Testaments, by the •swa.Ilowed up the 11.ood which the dragon a'llthodty of which the Chtircli convicts her ll8lt out ot hiB month; noallowed up tluJ riwr IMIYttl!liriea;·and by which she' is supported (Revised Version). "The earth'' freqfflllltly, liming her l)eriod pf conflict with the devil. but not invariably, in the Revelation aigni- ftatlhe might1ly into thB wilderneaa, into fle.s "the .wicked." It is.doubtful, therefore, Jiff place. Tiie referenoe to th!! 11.ight of .l1ow far the.figure here employed should be lmel from Egypt ia mll carried on. "Her pre•d. What is certain ia that the writer plaee" is t~ ... place prepar~. of G<jd ~ (ve~. inte.nds to exprEll!B the idea that the Church f). T-he Chm'ch, though m the ·world, JS is p~~ve4 in a wonderf~l and even mua• •~~~world (see on vel'. 6). '1fiere she cnlons way_ from the efforts of the devil b llHriiled f&r a time, and' times, ,and half [µrt_ber that1 this we ~not prQCE\811 safely. 4-ctme, frm tire face of'th'li nt,pent. Still ross1bly we may 11ee m the paaaage aa tUtiiiit.orf of Israel if borne in mind. Al allusion to the world embracing Christiaqity, the ehplb'.' people were ndurishe/1 in. the by which the instrument of Satlwl'a ill will ~to'iheChnrchof'God. I, iraltalned .became.a. d.efence.io the Olaqrdi; t,Jwugh o f-<l.H~ <·•EH_.., -5'... J. .>r , _-. , · i  ..,-li4!U•\!P~, iwd ,!!11-l'lier deliVel&Ilceil ~eein, .aony ot .Jesu ilbriat(~arly aJl.man~pta . ~ likqly, ~ be. i,ntende,3 (such ;as, the omit "Christ"), hold the testifllf)?iy(}k,v~d -~TI!MQn of 8.t, i'anl); foi: after imdeavour- . Yersion). ,This pl11,inly points qu,t wllo 11,r0 fng to di!stroy the woman a.t one stroke, the the .. rest of tl,le 'seed "-they afli those 'lthO '~gon procteds to war witli her seed. are God's_Ja~thful llel'Vants. We. may 'liM in The words recall another• incitdent in ths the descnpt1on a. reference to t~e _l,'1mhlli: of hill'klty of the l81'&8litiBh flight froin Egypt God, both JeWish · and· Christian. The ai:td' sojomtt in ihe wilderness, viz. that of • members of the Jewish ChuNilrweie they to ihe destmotion of Korah and his company; whom "the oom:ouwdmeuts of God" 1J1!81e ,Uiougll,,Pf,coune. the nature of the incident& 1pooially revealed., and Christians a.re.ihey ilj not. Uie,~me in both ,cases. . who specially "hold the testimony of ,1aaus." , V jlj:. 117,::-And the qragon was wroth :with (For an explanation of the latter ph11116, see the woman, and went to make war with the. on eh. i. 2.) . • . . Ji'e~t of he;·seed ; tJKWd,croth •• ·.·went· 1 . " . ' . awaf .to mak~, etc. (Revised Version). We hne now reached ~notqer s~age ~n Havmg fulled to prevent the miBBion of the tl!e history of the warfare Qar;ried ~. by man ehild.+Christ Jesua-and having been .of •foiled in bis at~mpts t.o overwhelm 'tbe the devil against God. Vera. 7--:-li ·Ohi:ifuh · of God, Satan proceeds to' attack this chapter describe the m:igin '<>!, the,hQl- -Oie individual miimhers of the Ohureh-the til,ity of Satan towards God; vers. t and .5 '.eeed of. the woman. · The method by which relate the attempts of- the devil to,.d811froy Jte -endeavOUl'II ,Jio do this is related in the Christ and to thwart his mission; Vtlm. il.3- followiag-0hapten. Wordsworth points Qut 16 refer to the attacks of Satan upon-•the 11,11 ~ g y between. the means which Satan µnpJoys_~ d011troy the Qhuron as desoribed Church . of God, by which he hoped·~ to ,]le~ ,an<l.tqosl) described in the aeals. Tjle destroy it 1111 a whole, before there was #me ~• rest 9t her seed" (Revised Yersion) signi- for the "seed " to spring up. Ha~ f~ed fies all the ehudren of the womani exelud ing in every attempt, the dragon Iiow, 9'JI!lia the num-child. ·of• ver. 5. . All members of other agents by whom he hopea to a~~fOY ·the _Chnnin of God 'are thilll referred to, those who are brethren of Christ (ef. Heb. the individual members of the ~ ~ h - ii. ll., ," For whieh cause he i1 not uhamed the other seed of the woman~• )n~n co call ·them brethren"), Which keep the of Ohriat. CODlll!RvdDl'\UUI of. <iodt and bave the testi- .