The Pulpit Commentary — Revelation — Section 481

Vers, 1-8._:Z71e spiriltMd kingdom. Now, to the eye:of the.weary seer-and in him to the eye.of the weary, suffering. Church-there appea.f new soenes., ·'l'he darkness is· past. The judgm.ents of the Lord upon the evil powers, and upon all-who take pa.rt with them as an:tagonists of the good, the pure, a.nd the, true,, are passed away. And to the oomfort of the wal.ting, faithful ones, who endure !.'as ,seeing him who is invisiblt",'.' the visiim of thi!"blei,sednesa of the righteous in thei kingdom of their Fa,th.er la gr&nted. The judgment which has just been represented, and in which-the punish- ment of the-wicked ,is brought especially into view, needs the.supplement of the,present vision.• · It. commences an entirely new series.; it lil set over .against that, ·which -hail just closed. 'l'o the end Of the book now the brighter scenes of· the Ohurch'1 •triumph, 61Ul,Otity andjoy are given. Here seefilll to be repre$ented• the bright and happy ooii~ dition,oUh.e Church-,-thll glory,of the kingdom ,of truth..,.,-in. its contrast to. the power and ev.il-working of the. kingdom of evil. Th0ll8 may be contemporaneous,· .1£-so, the eye of the seer is lifted from. the. struggle: of evil to the rest of the gospel salv.ation. This is certainly the brightet,llide .of human history.. It is the Divine and heavenly side. But it appears to ·run, on into the great future--,--the final :C1>nditions•. To them, however,.it m1111t ,not be confined. ltds, l' the kingdom of k«lven,'1 upon earth,;,which as a seed beoomes,.in its fruit and harve1t,-the everlasting kingdom in heaven. L TllB. BP:µIITUAL KJJ![GDOK .18 REPRESEN,-,ED AS HAVING. J.TS BASIS IN. :AN ENTIRELY NEW-OORDJ.TION OP,Tlill'IGB•. "Isaw a new heaven and a new,ea.rth;" "the sea. "~the wild tumultuoua sea of,the raging peoples-,-" is no more" (ver. 1). II. THIS Kll'IGDOK HAS ITS SPECIALLY DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTIC OF SANCTITY. It is C,the holy city~~ it ,oomes "down out of he11ven .{wm Gpd." It is '' made ready as a bride adortied for her. hnllband '.' {ver.. 2). ,,_ . -- ·, , . · UL .ITS · llOST PROl!lU'UINT J'EAT'liflllil IS FOUND• -0[, _ll'HE INTIJIU:TE COMMUNION OF Goo WITH KAN.!. His "-taberuacle is with men.?: Re d',f-ells with::tb:l!m;,theya.re his people,: and he is, with- them, and is their. God (ver.. 3-}. Thids tl1e impreme blessedness. . , .. . IV. Tall <lON!lll,QUBNCE OF THE BW-AY OF THIJ BPIBITUiAL KiNGDOM IS.TB& REMOVAL OF HUMAN -solLROW, ".Every tear" is wiped from· the eyes of men. , Death; mourning, crying and pa.in are no more (ver. 4). . , . . .• , .. • - V. ALL 1s Accolll'LISIIED BY DIVINE AGENCY. ":Behold, I. make all things· new " (ver. 6). - . •• .. i VL TaE WHOLE PROMISE IS SUPPORTED BY SPECIAL PLEDGES relating: 1. To the: Divine Name (nature) of the Church's Head. "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End." 2. To the prOIDU/~ of etemal life'and blessing. "I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely." 3. To the final inheritance of the utmost poesible -blessedness in a Divine relationship. "L will be his God, and •be.11hall be my lion.'~· Thus·" he· that overcometh shall- inherit alL things; " for·he·shall lie the son or the ·great King. 4. To the inevitable oondi:tions.of punish-- meat which,faU upon the subjects of, the Mil kingdom. This stands in contrast to llho fenner, -8li4 Is awom of warning and admonition.-R. G. CB.' UL ,1-.-27.] THE. REVELATION O'll' ST.· ffOHN, THE· DfVINl!l; 538