The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 453

Vers.~l-10.-The ,-e,tra-int upon evil,. Following D,l()S~ appropriately ~pon the foregoing .<lesoription of a conflict; and the conquest by the .. ttuth and .tpe power of ragbteousneS11, is.•a repr888ntatiop, in most significant imagery, of the restraini· that iB put upo(i evil, by the preval,ence_;0f _righteousness-the chaining back the clouds of night by the rising sun. The spirit of evil, "the dragon, .the old serpent,"." the devil and Satan," ia '1 laid hold '1 liy "aJl angel coming down ot1,t of heaven_," ll,lld bound with "a gr.®t chain,", apd cast/I.into the abyss,!' which js,11:\mt: and &ea¥ld: '.Chiii)s ,to be for "a thousand years;" after that,•• he must be ]OO!je~ for a little season.~ W#~ ,ai great distinetn~ as could well be ell,lployed herein is set wrth- . l. THB.cEFFllOTUAL RESTRAINT Ol' THE- POWER -PF EV.U.., IL is her11 pictuteQ ,as a single 11:ct. But we nmst.read the history of the strife w~ich is_ev:er proceeding-;-the gradual leavening of the entire life of humanity by the p1inciples and_the po~r.of the holy gospel. Whatever. may be tha oscillations between the pr!Jba9ilitie/) of BU~s and the danger of defeat, this picture must be held to declare the ultimater happy triumph of the true and good over- the faltl8 and the evil. Satan is ):ield in chains; his power is restricted. The heavenly hold,s bal}k,the earthly and the hellish,- I~is.\pe comfortable encouragement to the patient, suffering toiler that tqe agency 8JX1ployed uf God is effective. rJ.'hat bindiDg aud restraining.every faithful 'l!erv&nt must see to be now going on. ' _ . . . _ _ . . II:"T11E DURATIOJJ OJ' THIS 1u~ST11,~1NT. Themillennium~"athousa.ridyeara"-along but definite period,- now reigns; · yet mustdve not forget $0 s-ymbolfoal char~ter even of the definite words of this book. No time mu11t be affi,xoo. .It is a p~fod of blessing, of rest, of rejoicing, - The toils of the Oh,urch, and the pa.tj13q~ of the suffering faithful ones, have, by Divine grace, become fruitful. Now in the world, permeated by the pure and ,}oity:, p,inci.plea- of Christianity,, pesoe, truth, rightoou11n~~ reig~; and by how ~Ach tbey:prevail, l,y so,much evil is restrained. In their supremacy is.to be seen the complete eh&iaing of the evil-agents of an evil kingdom. JU. 'l'e1s PERIOD IS,MUK'.ED AS ONE QF. TRJUMPR AND R1$.TOICING on behalf of the fai(4• fol Chureh of Clirist.. .'fhrones are Sllt.,·the faithfulreigll with Christ, c&ndjudgmentoyer human 00,llduet is giwn to them-a siguifie3nt, indioatiOll ~hat principles of righteo_us- ness are. predominant, and that by them human life.is _adjudged. 'fheae.-&"e "blessed and holy ; " they hllve priestly function5i they approaoh, they mediate, .thJly a;re channela of blllllsing, they live to reig11; they escape. tha~ sec,ond <lea*.which iB ,the penalty of t;in, from which they have been rai!Rld-they partil,ke in a wst ?e&Ufl'.IWtipu which presages another. , -' . ,,. IV. 'fo ·this happy per.ioo of the. unive~sal •prevalence of Christian. truth there succeeds A 'l'EKPORARY BEL.APSE._ Like ·a.ll hui;nan blessedness, even_ i;Jlja has the •signature of imperfectness upon it.: It-. is historical, not imposed. But t~ill is oµly temporary, "for a little time,'.' an.d issues in 11 ftna.l destruction of all tempting. and evil !JOWer--6Ven "fur ever and ever." - . ., , .. , • In this the Church is. to ftoo (1). ~mcouragement tofaitk; (2) motillll /O'f d-iligenl labour; (3) the mo,st•cheering assuf'ances in times fJj disoouragement cuvi,je,ar, The truth shall ultimately prevail·• the false, the foul, the vile, shall be restrained.-,-R. G.