The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 455

opposite classes of moral phenomena. In _the world we have error, selfisbne;is, infidelity, and misery; ana truth, benevolence, religion, and hllppiness. Can these b(I branches from the same root? or streams from tho same fount? (3) The general teaching of the Bible. 2. Th6 personality of such an enemy. These are names of creatures having individual existence and attributes. The Bible always s:p!lllks of this e-vil existent o.s a person. It is far too great a demand upon our credulity to believe that the various inspired writers, from Moses to John, extending over a period of more than two thousand years, possessing various idiosyncrasies and attaininent.s, and living under different economies, governments, and circumstances, could all fall into the common habit of speaking of evil as a person if it were only a principle. This, I say, is too much for our faith. Moreover, an e-vil principle impliea an evil person. Sin is not some mysterious entity, separate from moral existence. Is sin an act 1 Then it must have an agent. ls it a motive 1 Motive implies thought, and thought implies a thinker. 3. The characteristics of such an enemy. "Dragon" stands as the emblem of power. Probably the leviathan described in Job xli. is of_ the same class : "Shall not one be cast down, even at the sight of him?" "Serpent" stands as the emblem of cunning and venom. " Devil " means accuser. " Satan " signifies opposer. 'l'his adversary of redeemed humanity, then, is mighty, crafty, and tli1·uknt; 'l'he New Testament is full of the doctrine that this being is the determined foe of humanity (Matt. iv. 10; xii. 26; Mark iv. 15; Luke x. 18; xxii. 3, 31; Acts xxvi. 18; Rom. xvi. 20; 2 Cor. xi. 14; eh. ii. 13; xii. 9). I!. THAT HEAVEN HAS VOUCHSAFED AN AGENCY WHICH IS DESTINED TO MASTER THE ADVERSARY. "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit [abyss]." Who is this angel that descends from heaven? 'l.'he word "angel" both. in Hebrew and Greek, means messenger. It is applied to impersonal as well as personal agents; and it is applied to evil, as well as good, personal agents. It is evidently used here to designate some good personal agent, for he descends from heaven, and descends from heaven to do battle with evil. The language applies pre- eminently to Christ, but refers also to every true religiow teacher. Let the word "angel," here, then, stand for every true religious teacher-including Christ and all his true servants; and we shall get a most clear and practical meaning from the po.ssage. We have here two things about this true teacher-this angeL 1. His authority. He has the "key" of the bottomleBS pit. A key is the emblem of authority. Christ is said to have the keys of death and hell tHades) at his girille; and to his servant Peter be gave the" keys" of the kingdom-the authority to open the kingdom of truth, by true preaching, to Jew and Gentile, Every man who ha$ the true spirit and power of a teacher, has the "key" or the authority to teach,. He has a right to do battle with the enemy \1·herever he is found; whether in literature or commerce, Churches or governments, theories or practices. A true man has Heaveu's key in his hand for this work. 2. His instrumentality. What is the instrument employed? "A chain." What is the chain? Iron, brass, adamant? No, no I 'l'hese cannot fetter intellect-these cannot manacle soul, Nothing can curb or restrain the influence of Satan but Ohristian truth. What is meant by binding Satan? It docs not mean the binding of his being or jaculties, but the binding of his injlue1ice. He is to be bound, in the sense of limiting his sway, by closing up human hearts against him. As liberty binds the influence of slavery, intelligence the influence of ignorance, and religion the influence of infidelity, so Christian truth is to bind the influence of Satan. Every truth is a link in that mighty chain. The chain of Christian teaching is far too weak and short at present to restrain the force or measure the dimensions of Satanic influence. 'fhill is the scene through which we are passing. All is battle nou,. For the sub- jugation of the common foe, let each forse some holy thought-link for theall-enfettering chain.-D. T. Vers. 3--6.-The second scene in the history of redeemed humanity: ~ age of 11UWal triumph. "And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him_ up, and set a seal upon him," etc. The first scene in the history of redeemed humanity-nam<-ly, the scene of moral struggle-occupied our attention in the last homily. The passage befure us is a very glorious, though highly symbolic, view of the scene which will ■ ucceeJ it- lhe ,cem of !'IW1'al triumph. This scene is, probably, many long centuries in the future; for as yet the great enemy of soul.a is the: "prince of this world." But prophecy, the tendency of Christianity, the victories which the gospel has already achieved, and. t],ie, unequivocal assurances of .God's Word in general, all show that, however far ,;iff, the bright' ere. will da\vn oli the world when, the "will of God shall be done ott earth e.s 'jt, ls in ·heaven." Stripping the words before us of their' highly figtirative garb, I discover foll\" great features which will distinguish this glorioui111-ge. · , I. 'T:aE EN'l'lJl.i OVERTHROW OF Jd:ORAL EVIL. ,Satan, the great adversary, is said t!) be C&St into'~• the hottomless pit." This figurative language suggests two thoughts. 1. That. th6 gre<.r,t enem'!/ will fiave lost his stand-place in t!Je world. His throne will have lost its foundation; he will not have a resting-place for his foot in this period. What ha,(beelil his ·~\ar:id-place in the world? Error, prejudice, selfishness, evil passions, etc. ; but these wil,l bave'g9iie. He will have, no fulcrum fur bis lever. 2. That the fall of the great 'enemy will 'be complete for a time. '' Bottomless pit." He will be sinking for ages. The more humanity pr-0g}'.esses in intelligence, rectitude, and holiness, the more hopeleilsJiis conditiQ!l becomes.. As humanity rises, be must sink. ... II. 'l'li11: UNIVEJIBAL s~vEii'Ei~NTY OF CHRll!T, Christ ili here spoken of as' reigning for a "thousand. years" (vei'. 2). '!'here are many who judge this passage" after the tlesh," give it ii carnal and. Judaic interpretation. They infer from it a personal ma:pi- festation of'Chfist, with all the.appendages of a temporal dominion. I disclaim this, for two reasons. 1. The only true sovereignty is spiritual. . Who have been the greatest sovereigns of the world? The men, who have sat· on thrones ,of gold, 'and ruled w!th the sceptre of force? No I it is not your Pharaoh, Cresar, Alexander; bpt your Aristotle, Bacon, Miltoia., and Bunyan. Men wh.o direct the thoughts of humanity are the real rulers. Ch,rist .ill the greatest spiritual Sovereign, and his sovereignty is destined to increase, 2• .A religious spiritual sovereignty over man is th6 great want of the race. He who rules the human mind, directs its faculties, energies, and feelfogs rightly, is man's greatest benefactor. This Christ does in the highest and most perfect manner. Let every phHanthropist, therefore, pray that his kingdom may come-that he may become tbe moral' Monarch of all souls. · III. THE GENEJ;IAL ASCENDANCY OF GREAT ij()ULS. The world, hitherto;. has be!)n under tbe dominion uf weak and wicked men. Its kings and heroes have generally been as small e.s their hearts have been corrupt. In this scene the great soul will be "on thrones," and reign •with Christ. The words suggest three things about the men \yho will t.hen be in ~wer•.. 1. They will be men 1.11ho have passed through a spiritual n:s,µrrection. They had.&· part 'in the "first resurrection" (ver. 6). That a spiritw;d resurrection is here refetred to is obvious; from three considerations. (1) 'l'he id.ea harmonizes with the symbolical character of the whole book. (2) The passage specially mentiol).s CCsotils,»and nut bodies. (3) ,The New Testament represents the awakening vf a ll\lW spirftnal life.in man as a resurrection (John v~ 2~29; Col. iii. 1, etc.). Indeed, the reii'urr11Ction of the body is but a type of the resurrection of .the soul; the resurrection of the ~oill is. the true resurrectio11. That of the body is but figurative. 'l'wo ii:leas: are im!llted in the resurrection: (1) The resuscitation of an old moral life in man-Divine: love. · (2) The resuscitation of an old moral life by God himself. It is God's work alone .to rai8e the dead. 2; They will 'be• men o/ mai·tyr-mould. "The souls of them tho.t were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and fqr the Word of God, and which bad 'riot worshipiied the beast, neither his imag1>, neither had received his. mark u1,on their foreheads or in tbefr hands" (ver. 4). 'l'he idea unquestionably is, not that the "sotilii" of the old martyrs who have long since departed will be brought hack to this'earth, out soills like their~ will exist in this age. Soulll marked by invin- cible attachment to truth, by the most generous sentiments, Divine aspiration11, and noble daring; fseliag truth to be ever inore precious than existence itself. '!'his inter- pretation agrees with 'the interpretation which one is bound to give such scriptural language e.s that which speaks of the ministry or John, the ministry of Elijah, and the conversion. of thl! Jews, as a "life from the deaJ." ;l They will 'be men possessing ~clu,iw aacendantJI, . "But· the rest of the dead lh·ed not again'' (ver. 5). In this gloriowi age there is nci :reproduction of those little and corrupt men who, in every age, have played tb'e despot, both in Church and state. Your Herods and Caiaphases, your Henrys and your Lauds, will have no representatives in this glorious age, "The re2t  en. xx. 1-15.] THE REVELATION O]' ST. JOHN THE DIVINE. 503