waged. (On " white" and " ftne linen," see Ver. 18.-That ye may eat the :8.esh of previous chapters.) kings, and the ftesh of captains, and the Ver. 15.-And out of hill mouth goeth a flesh of mighty men, and the tl.eeh of horsea, llharp ,word, that with it he should smite and of them that Bit on them, and the fl.eah the nations : and he shall rule them with a of all men, both free and bond, both ■mall rod of iron. The deacription is still similar and great (ef. the description in Ezek. to that given in eh. i. (see eh. L 16; ii. 12, uxiL 17). All fll8n; that is, all tlie un- 16). (For the last clause, see eh. ii. 27; xii. godly, Cf. the description of the same event 5; and cf. Isa. hiiL 3.) The symbolism is at the concluaion of the seal-judgments (eh. descriptive of warfare, victory, and jndgment. vi. 15). The whole account indicates the "He" is emphatio: "he shall rule "-no widespread and complete nature of God's longer the kings of the earth. The nation.; judgments, which none shall be able to in tile sense of' the ungodly (of. oh. xvi. 19, eBOBpe. etc.). And he treadeth the wine-press of the Ver. 19.-And I saw the beast; viz. that fl.eroenesa and wrath of Almighty God ; the described in eh. xiii; 1, typical of the hostile wine-prua of the wiflB of t118 fleroenesa of the world-power. And the kings of the earth, wrath, etc. In eh. xiv. 10 we have the figure and their armies. The king, summoned of "the wine of the wrath" of God, and in lty the _unclean spirits of oh. xvi. 13, 14, oh, xiv. 19 that of the "wine-press of the typical of the forces which the beast em- wrath;" here the two a.re combined (of. ploys in his spiritual warfare with God. The &>Jso Isa. lxiii. S, quoted on ver. 13). · armies are the adherents of the beast, de- Ver•. 16.-And he bath on his vesture and scribed in eh. xiii.-the ungodly, those who on his thigh a 11&me written. What this follow the world rather than God. Gathered means is doubtful. The rollowing sugges- together to make war against him that tions have been made: (1) The name, written sat on the horse, and against hi.I army. at length, is written partly upon the vesture Gathered as described in eh. xvi. 14 and and partly upon the thigh itself, where the ver. 17 of this chapter. Agaiu (as in ver. 7) garment would (in an equestrian figure) fall a douhle operation. The gathering is volun- away from the thigh (Alford). (2) The tary on the part of the wicked (oh. xvi. H), name is written on the vesture, even (1<"() and yet it is overruled by God, and made on that part of it which covers the thigh to serve his ends ( oh. xix. 17). Him that (De Wette, Diisterdieck. Hengstenberg). aat on the hOf'III; Chri,;t ( see ver. 11 ). " His (3) On the thigh, as the place wliere the army " consists of the faithful followers of sword usually hangs. (4) A reference to ChrisL They are here pictured as a heavenly the custom of engraving the name of the army (vcr. 14), because the victory which artist upon the thigh of a statue (Cic., they achieved is the leading feature· here 'Verr.,' iv. 43; see Wetstein). KING OP' depicted, but their warfare took place while RINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS. As in they were on earth (of. eh. xiv. 13). The eh. xm 14 (bot inverted), where, as here, it war (with the article); viz. that war which portrays the vict.orious career of Christ over is perpetually waged between the powers of the " kings of the earth." light and de.rkness, and which will not be Ver. 17.-And I saw an angel standing in terminated until the great judgment. the sun. That is, in mid-heaven (as in eh. Ver. l!O.-And the beast was taken, and viii. 13, etc.); in a place befitting his glory, with him the false prophet that wrought' and also whence he can appropriately issue miraoles before him, with which he deceived his summons. And he oried with a loud them that had received the mark of the voioe. As is usual in all the heavenly beast, and them that worshipped his Image ; utterances (see eh. v. 2, etc.). Saying to that wrought the signs in his sight (Revised all th& fowls that ftyin themidst-0f heaven; Version). Here. we have described the the bird, that fly in mid-heaven (Revised destruction of the earthly manifestations Version) (vide supra); see Ezek. xxxix. 17, of Satan's power; the means by which he et •tNJ·, for the origin of the imagery here seeks to achieve his purposes, and which we employed. Come and gather yourselves have interpreted as the hostile world-power together unto the supper of the great God; and self-deception (see on eh. xiii.). Tl,8 come, be gathered wgether unto the great whole acoount contained in vers. 11-21 is supper of God, (Revised Version). Not, of a brief rooapitulatiim of the whole period course, the "supper" of ver. 9, but rather a of warfare between Christ and Satan, with contrast to it ; that supper which is reserved special attention given to the final over- for the ungodly, at which they Jorm the throw of the powers of evil. It, therefore, prey. The language is employed in tilling covers the same ground as the vision of in the accessory details of the central image, seals, and then that of the trumpets, then and must not be pressed too far in particular that of the vials, and ufterwards that of the <l.ireotions; e.g. Andreas oonsiders the birds beasts, each occupies. The chief difterence ,o be good all&'<>!$. ia that in all those visions the .. verydry GIL XIL 1-21.) THE REVELATION OF ST. JOIIN THE mvmE. f5l
oonflfot is more partieularly described ; whieh is described as the abySB (oh. ix. 1; whereas in this pasSBge the termim1otion of xi. 7 ; xvii. 8 ; xx. I, 3). the oonfliet ie specially brought before 1J8. Ver. 21.-And the remnant were Ila.in The SBme ground ia covered in the next with the sword of him that sat upon the chapter, a.dva.neing, however, one step horse, which sword proceeded out of hia further, auJ showing us the final punish- mouth: and all the fowls were :8lled with ment of Satan himself, as well ae of his in- their flesh. TM 1'emnant ; tha.t is, the struments (eh. xx. 10). These both were cast adherents of the beast, the " armies " of alive into a lake of lire burning with brim- ver. 19. (For this desc:tiption of Christ, see stone ; the11 twain tllef'6 MBt aUoo into the vers. 11, 15.) Spiritual death is inflicted lake, etc. (On "brimstone," etc., see on eh. upon those who have proved themselves ix. 17, 18. Of. eh. XL 10, 14, 15; :ui 8.) hostile to God. 'fhe last sentence empha- This " Ia.ke of fire" is the place of punish- sizes the nature of the punishment by the ment for Sa.tan a.ud his hosts; not the pla.oe reference to the indignity ofl'ered to their in which he at pre.sent works and reigns- bodie■ after death.