The DatrMI "golden leek-green " appears to them will be hereafter a real earth witl;i poi~t t9-a epeci~s of beryl, e.nd the modem inhabitants. "The nation&" are tha ,e- aq U!!-":m,rll)fl. It is th-i,s probably a variety deemed, described in this way on aeot>unt of emerald, oeing of a yellowish pale-green of their seleetion from every "kindred, an~ hue. · ,:he eleventh, a jacinth. "A red nation, and tribe, and tongue" (oh. -vii. 9); varioty ·(;!f inroon, which is found in square not the wicked nations of oh. xvi. 19. prisms. of a white, ga,y, red, reddish-brown, Though the Authori&ed Venion is probably y_e11ow, or pale-gi:een colour"(Bmith'e_'Di<i- inoorract in inserting "of them which aro t1onary of the Bible '). " The ae.pphue of saved," yet these words appear to give. the the modern a" (King). The twelfth, an oorroot aense of the passage. The deserlp- amethyst. A purple stone, possibly the tion is evidently still founded on the pro- oommon amethyst.· phetical writings. "And the Gentiles shall Ver. 21,-An:l the twelYe gates were eome to thy light, and li,i.ngs to the bright- twelve pearl■ ; eve-q: several gate was of ness of tby rising" (Isa. lx. S). And the one ;earl. The pearZ was known to the kings of the earth do bring their glo1'7 and anciwts from the earliest times, nnrl was honour into it. Omit "and honour," aecord- always· held in high honour by them (cf. ing to N, A, P, and others. Not that there eh. x:vii. 4). And the street of the city was are literal kings snd earth. The lang-uage pure gold, as it were transparent glass (of. is intended to oonvey an idea of God's ver.·18). Tl!e brilliancy was so far beyond supreme glory and unquestioned anlhority. ordinary gold ss to make it apparently There are now no kings to dispute his ■ way. transparent Iike glass; "The strei,t" is not Instead, all join in promoting. his glo:y. ' tnerely one street, but the whole oollective Ver. 25.-And the ~tea of itshall uot 'N material of which the streets are composed. shut at all by day~ for there shall- be no ·- Ver. 211.-And I saw uo temple therein: night there. The Revised. Veraion ilorrect1y for th• :Lol'll Ood Almighty and the tamb plsees the last clause in parenthel!llll. The are ~ temple of it. No "aos, "inner meaning ia: The gates shall never be shut, ahtint1.''_ or "sanctuary" (of. eh. vii. 15). either by da.y or nig-ht; but it is superftui:riis '.l'l,e wl;iole city is now the va&s (cf. on vers. to say, "by night," for there is no night 16, 17, where the shape of the eity is that there. Some commentators think the open of tl,e holy of holies). The presence of God gates sre a sign of perfect security ; others, pervade& all the city (ef. ver. 11); all the that they are open to admit the nations, as retleelned are within the sanctuary, all are deaeribed in the following verse. BotQ idaea now priests (of. oh. xx. 6). There is, there- ma.y well be understood. fore;- no .-a&r, or "temple," within the oity, Ver. 26.-And they shall brmg the glo~ · for the whole eity itaelf is the temple. The a:ad hoD.our of the :aationa luto it; that is. Objooto( .all won hip u.d the gre!l,t Saorlfioe. thB glory and the honour of the natiooa ahall M'!l. thfte (Alford). b6 brought into it. The verb is used im~ .. · V~r. 23.-And the oity had DO need of the personally, as in ·oh. x. 11 and many other sun, ueither of the m.oon, to &hine in it; places. A repetition of ver. 2i (ttide i,upra). hi.th no_ need. So Isa. Ix:. 19, 20, "The sun Ver. 27.-Aud there shall in no wise enter sh~ll. be no more thy light by day; neither into it any thing that dell.lath, neither what- for brightness shall the moon give light soevet worketh abomination,· or maketh -'& nnto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee lie; anytMng umlea-, ·or he -Uiat dlMIA a. an everlaeting Light, and thy God thy abomination; and IJ li& It is thUll 11vid~ Glory." For the glo1'7 of God di4 lighten that " the na.tfon11 " of ver. 24 are amollg it, an4 the Lamb is the Light thereof. TM tlie ~.:e!Ded {cf, Isa iji. I," 0 J~lll~ glory of God (cf. ver. 11). No disltnction is the holy ei ty : for henceforth there shsll hi> Ml' b6 made between God anil the Lamb; more cqine into thee the uueiroumcjsed arid both ara the Light (ef. John i. 5). the uncfoan "). 'l'he lot of sueh 1111 are here Ver. 24.-And the nations of th8lll whioh d,,seribed is the l!l.ke of fire (ver. 8): et. are saved shall walk in the light of it; and the " abomination" of the ha.riot (eh. xvii. CM nation, aliaU walk by meam ot, bet- light. 4, 5). (On·•• lie," of. eh. ii. 2; iii. 9. "U~ Otnit "of them whieh are aaved.' The de- olean,"of.eh. iii. 4; xiv. 4.) But theywhioh l!Cl'iption, following that of Isaiah, makes are written in the Lamb'• book of life; -bid u,e of earthly symbolism; but it is not, only they, eto. (of. eh. ill. a; xiii. 8; ivii. ll; thewfore, to be 1mppoaed. (aa Alford) thu.t XX. 12, 1/i).
HOMILETICS. Ver. 1.--cb. :r:xii. 5,_:_'.Zle holy city; or, the C'lmrcA lrlumphant. Wheth_er bf intuition or othrrwise, we know not, but certain it is that Plato seized hold of anj ·expressed a profound truth when, in his 'Phred9,' he mainta.iJlll that "thillg{I are._~ ioEVELATIOlll. 2 lo &H TilE REVELATION OF ·ST. JOHN THE DlVINE. [011. llL 1-21".