The Redeemed on Mount Zion.

The Redeemed on Mount Zion.“And I looked, and behold a lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder: and the voice which I heard was like that of harpers playing with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living beings, and the elders: and no one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth. These are they, who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, the first fruit to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth no lie was found for they are faultless.”—Rev. 14:1-5.The Lamb is shown by the connection to be Christ,—here called by one of his metaphorical names.The Mount Zion, doubtless, symbolizes the place where, in the regeneration, the Lord will reign with his saints—i.e.in the new earth.“The Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion,”Micah 4:7.—“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take[pg 217]the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth,”5:9,10.—“And I saw a new heavens and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.... And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall, be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God,”21:1-3.The names of Mount Zion, and Jerusalem, were both used to denote the city which the Lord chose above all the goodly places of earth to put his name there. It is proper to designate the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, by all the names which were applied to the old. The king is to be set upon the holy hill of Zion—“Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces,”Psa. 48:12, 13.“When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in glory,”Ib.102:16.“For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever; here will I dwell; for I have desired it,”Ib.132:13, 14.“For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the[pg 218]Lord; and joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.... Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”Isa. 51:3-11.“Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.... How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion,‘Thy God reigneth!’Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.”Ib.52:1-9.“And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.”Ib.59:20.The standing of the Lamb on Mount Zion, symbolizes an epoch when Christ shall assume a corresponding relation to his people. He there appears in person; and“when Christ who is your life, shall appear, then shall ye[pg 219]also appear with him in glory,”Col. 3:4. It will not be till he shall have judged“the quick and the dead at his appearing,”(2 Tim. 4:1), that“the redeemed from among men”will“follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”The 144,000, who are with Christ, correspond with the number which are sealed,“of all the tribes of the children of Israel,”(7:4); and they are doubtless the same persons, who, under the sixth seal, are designated, among all denominations of Christians, by the mark of the living God. They are there shown to be the godly, who shall be alive on the earth at Christ's coming and shall then be changed, and, with the risen dead, caught up to meet him in the air.The sealing process there symbolized, is here shown to be the inscribing of the Father's name on their foreheads. The subjects of the beast and its image, receive its mark; but the children of God and the Lamb, are designated instead, by the name of the Father.The voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, with the voice of harpers, is the singing of the new song which none but the 144,000 could learn. Those who are translated at Christ's coming, will be favored above all, save two, who will have lived on the earth, insomuch as they will have been redeemed from the earth without being subjected to death.[pg 220]These sing in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders, who symbolize those who also are redeemed from among men and will reign on the earth, 5:8-10. Consequently those must symbolize the resurrected dead, with whom the 144,000 will be ushered into the Lord's presence, 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. The two bodies of the redeemed, are therefore both represented with the Lord on Mount Zion.Their not being defiled with women, probably implies that they were not guilty of idolatry, which is represented by that figure, Ezek. 16:15. They had not submitted to the wiles of the woman seated on the scarlet-colored beast, (17:3); had not worshipped the beast or its image (14:9), and had been true to their Divine Sovereign.They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. All the redeemed will doubtless thus follow the Lamb, for of all the“great multitude which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues,”who stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed“with white robes, and palms in their hands,”(7:9)—it was said:“The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water,”7:17.Those who are redeemed from among men, are called the“first fruits unto God and to the[pg 221]Lamb.”They are not necessarily first fruits of the redeemed, to distinguish them from others of the redeemed, but are first fruits of the race:“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind offirst fruitsof his creatures,”James 1:18. By his resurrection from the dead, Christ became“the first fruits of them that slept,”1 Cor. 15:20. And at his coming there is to be a“first resurrection”(20:6), when the bodies of the saints will“be fashioned like unto his glorious body”(Phil. 3:21), and thus become the first fruits with their risen Head. Those who come up at the second resurrection will not attain to that beatific state.They are faultless, and without guile. They are not perfect by reason of any inherent goodness in themselves; for“all we like sheep have gone astray ... and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all,”Isa. 53:6. The redeemed church will be faultless, because its members will be sanctified and cleansed by the blood of Christ. Such will constitute“a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing ... holy and without blemish,”Eph. 5:27. While“the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light”of the New Jerusalem, and shall“bring their glory and honor into it,”there“shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or[pg 222]maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life,”21:24-27.“There awaiteth at the endSuch a home, and such a Friend,Such a crown, and such a throne,Such a harp of heavenly tone,Such companions, such employ,Such a world of hallowed joy!”—Bunyan.The Angel of the Everlasting Gospel.“And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting good news to preach to those dwelling on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and fountains of water!”—Rev. 14:6, 7.The era symbolized by the flight of this angel, has been applied, by different writers to the epoch of the Reformation, to that of modern missions, &c. The view here taken, is that it synchronizes with the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles.The angel flying through the midst of heaven, doubtless symbolizes a body of men conspicuous for their position, energetic in their movements, extensive in their operations, and urgent in their proclamation,—whose teachings correspond with this announcement of the angel.The message they bear is that of the everlasting gospel ευαγγελιον, (evangelion)—which[pg 223]is, literally, the good news, the glad tidings; that which brings“life and immortality to light,”2 Tim. 1:10. It is a message which foreshadows the resurrection and coming judgment at Christ's appearing; and is therefore called“the gospel of the kingdom,”(Matt. 4:23);—the good news of the glorious kingdom of the Son of God.It is the preaching of theeverlastinggospel which is thus symbolized. It is nonewgospel; for,“the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham,—saying: In thee shall all nations be blessed,”Gal. 3:8. And not Abraham alone, but all the fathers“did eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ,”1 Cor. 10:3, 4. Of this gospel the Jewish nation and a few proselytes, were for ages the sole recipients.“Unto them were committed the oracles of God.”Rom. 3:2. To them pertained“the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises,”Rom. 9:4. But the time had been foretold when the Gentiles should come to their light, and kings to the brightness of their rising, Isa. 60:3.With the coming of Christ, and his rejection of that nation, the gospel, was no longer to be confined within its former narrow limits. The[pg 224]Savior said to his disciples:“Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,”Matt. 28:19, 20.“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned,”Mark 16:15, 16.“Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures, and he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,”Luke 24:45-47.The fulfilment of those predictions and commands could not be more beautifully and appropriately symbolized, than by an angel flying“in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.”It could be no other gospel: for Paul testified:“Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel[pg 225]unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed,”Gal. 1:8, 9.In accordance with the divine command, to preach the gospel to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem, the apostles began their mission; and when the Jews rejected their message, they turned to the Gentiles, and went everywhere preaching the word“according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith,”Rom. 16:25, 26.The first converts to the faith, comprised“Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians,”Acts 2:9-12. When the Jews contradicted and blasphemed,“Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles,”Acts 13:46. Afterwards Paul, in writing to the Colossians, refers to the gospel as that“which was preached to[pg 226]every creature which is under heaven,”Col. 1:23.This gospel was to be preached to those who dwell on the earth, and also to all nations. The symbolic earth of the Apocalypse, being generally admitted to be the Roman empire under a quiet government, its fulfilment would require an early introduction of the gospel there. Accordingly we find, within thirty years after the crucifixion of Christ, a flourishing church existing in the metropolis of the Roman empire, to which Paul addressed one of his most able letters. In it, he thanks God that their“faith is spoken of throughout all the world,”Rom. 1:8. The apostle had then“fully preached the gospel of Christ”from Jerusalem“round about [the coast of the Mediterranean] unto Illyricum,”(Rom. 16:19);—a country on the Adriatic, or Gulf of Venice. He afterwards visited Rome, and is supposed to have preached the gospel as far west as Spain. The apostles spread Christianity throughout the Roman empire. Palestine, Syria, Natolia, Greece, the islands of the Mediterranean, Italy, and the northern coast of Africa, contained societies of Christians in the first century. In the second century societies existed, and Christ was worshipped, among the Germans, Spaniards, French, Celts, and Britons, and many other nations in Europe, and almost throughout the whole east. In the fourth century Christianity[pg 227]had become the prevailing religion of the empire.In later times the gospel which began to be preached at Jerusalem, has been extended to more distant countries, and is still finding its way to every tribe and people that have not before heard its joyful sound. Thus has the light of the gospel nearly encircled the globe, having been, in one age or another, proclaimed in every known country—fulfilling the words of the Saviour:“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come,”Matt. 24:14.“And the gospel must first be published among all nations,”Mark 13:10. It would not follow from these predictions that it must be preached at thesame timeto all nations, any more than the light of day shines on all parts of the earth at once: but all must have been illumined by it before the end.In accordance with this view, those who are finally redeemed to God“out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation”(5:9), are those who will“have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”(7:14), in consequence of this universal extension of the gospel.The command to fear and give glory to God, and to worship the Creator of all things implies that it was to be proclaimed to worshippers of false gods, and was not a mere[pg 228]proclamation addressed toactual Christians. The Gentiles to whom the apostles preachedwereactual worshippers of such, and needed to be taught the worship of thetrueGod. While Paul was at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands,”Acts 17:22-24.“Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led,”1 Cor. 12:2.“For they themselves show us of what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God: and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come,”1 Thess. 1:9, 10.The great motive, to be held forth to induce men to turn from the worship of idols to that of God, was the certainty of the approaching judgment. In accordance with this, the apostles make constant references to it. The Corinthians[pg 229]are exhorted to“come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ,”1 Cor. 1:7, 8. As Paul“reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled,”Acts 24:25. He said to the impenitent Romans, that they were“treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”Rom. 2:5. The first things which were presented in all their teachings were“the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment,”Heb. 6:1, 2. Thus“Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints,”Jude 14, 15.As Christ was to judge the world“at his appearing and kingdom”(2 Tim. 4:1), a reference to his coming always involved a consideration of the hour of his judgment; and his appearing was a great incentive to holiness.“For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,”Phil. 3:20. And“when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory,”Col. 3:4.“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence[pg 230]of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”1 Thess. 2:19.“To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints,”Ib.3:13.“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord,”Ib.4:14-17.“And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,”2 Thess. 1:7, 8.Not only the apostles, but their successors, in succeeding ages, have constantly made reference to the judgment, as the motive to holiness. Beginning in the days of the apostles, the same gospel has been continued by a succession of men to the present time; and those who are now preaching, or who support those[pg 231]who so preach the everlasting gospel, in connection with the warning of approaching judgment, must be regarded as belonging to the same body of men symbolized by the angel flying in the midst of heaven.Commencing in the apostolic age, sections of the globe were evangelized—in Asia and Africa, that have never received the gospel since, either under the reformers or by modern missionaries. But beginning with the dispensation of the gospel to the Gentiles, its fulfilment is found in China, in Tartary, in Japan, in Egypt, and Ethiopia, and in lands so remote that no one can say it has not been almost universally promulgated.The Angel announcing the Fall of Babylon.“And another angel, a second, followed, saying, She is fallen! Babylon the great is fallen! She made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication!”—Rev. 14:8.This angel, like the former, must symbolize a body of religious teachers. The former resulted in the spread of Christianity. This announces the fall of a corrupt hierarchy.Babylon being regarded as a symbol of the Roman church, her fall must be understood to be her loss of power, as mistress of the kings of the earth; and synchronizes with her displacement[pg 232]from her position on the beast, as symbolized in the 17th chapter. The epoch of her fall, and consequently of the flight of this angel, is that of the Reformation, when the corruptions of the Papal See were first exposed, and it was denounced as the Apocalyptic harlot. The argument for this application is given in the exposition of Rev. 18:1, which is a repetition of the symbol here given, p.300.The Wrath-denouncing Angel.“And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any one worship the wild beast and his image, and receive his mark on his forehead, or on his hand, even he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out unmingled into the cup of his wrath; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night, who worship the wild beast and his image, and whoever receiveth the mark of his name!”—Rev. 14:9-11.The cry of this angel synchronizes with the“voice from heaven”(18:4), and follows the discovery of the corruptions of Romanism.—See the exposition of that Scripture, p.307.The worship of the beast consisted in a regard for it, equivalent to saying,“Who is like unto the beast? and, Who is able to make war with him?”13:4. To worship, is to manifest homage and respect. To worship[pg 233]any inferior object, is to bestow on it the confidence and affection which is due only to God. It is to trust in it, as invincible, able to protect, and infallible in judgment. Thus to regard any civil or ecclesiastical organization, is to substitute it for Him, by whom the powers that be are ordained (Rom. 13:1), who giveth the kingdom to whomsoever he will (Dan. 4:17), and by whom alone, kings reign, and princes decree justice, Prov. 8:15.Whenever any civil or ecclesiastical enactment conflicts with the requisitions of Jehovah, that power is worshipped, which is obeyed in preference to the other:“Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey?”Rom. 6:16. The worship of God is incompatible with obedience to any power which compels a violation of His laws. Due obedience to government is commanded, when no question of conscience is involved. When it is, no forcible resistance to the execution of the law is permitted; but while God is obeyed, the penalty of the law is to be meekly endured.The early Christians chose death, rather than to deny their Saviour at the command of Jewish Sanhedrim or Roman emperor. When Peter and John were commanded“not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus,”their answer was,“Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than[pg 234]unto God, judge ye; for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard,”Acts 4:19, 20. In like manner, the Christians living at the epoch of this angel, were to be similarly tried, which is implied in the command, not to worship.So soon as the reformers were placed in direct conflict with the Church of Rome, her anathemas were hurled against all who assented not to her mummeries. And the power of the civil arm was also brought into exercise to compel obedience to her commands. Those who maintained their integrity, did so in opposition to the requirements of the church and state; while those who submitted to the state as invincible, or to the church as infallible, extended to the beast or its image that homage and regard which was due to God. They thus acknowledged themselves the servants of him whom they obeyed, and subjected themselves to the wrath of God.The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest, day nor night, who worship the beast and his image. While the righteous enter into rest, the wicked are like the troubled sea which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, Isa. 57:20.[pg 235]The Harvest of the Earth.“Here is the patience of the saints: here are those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, Happy the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth! Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their toils; and their works go with them. And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and one was seated on the cloud like the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him seated on the cloud, Thrust forth thy sickle and reap: for the hour is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he, who sat on the cloud, cast his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”—Rev. 14:12-16.The announcement that here are they who keep the commandments of God, implies that, at the epoch symbolized, they are to be the subjects of special notice. By the voice from heaven, they are shown to include all of the dead who have died in the Lord; and their being blessed from thenceforth, indicates that they will at that epoch enter upon their eternal reward.The“rest”of the righteous, is at the advent of Christ:—“To you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven,”2 Thess. 1:6.“There remaineth a rest for the people of God,”Heb. 4:9.On hearing the voice from heaven, the revelator looked, and beheld on a cloud“one like the Son of man.”In Ezek. 1:26,“the[pg 236]likeness as the appearance of a man,”upon“the likeness of the throne,”is explained to be“the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.”In Dan. 7:13,“one like the Son of man,”who comes to the Ancient of days, is evidently a symbol of Christ. In Rev. 1:13,“one like unto the Son of man,”is the one who was alive, was dead, and is alive forevermore. The same symbol repeated, must here also be a representative of Christ.His position on a cloud, indicates the arrival of the period when he is to be manifested in mid-heaven:“Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him,”1:7.“One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him,”Dan. 7:13, 14.“And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels, with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,”Matt. 24:30, 31.The epoch of this manifestation, according to the above, is that of the last trump, the second advent, and the first resurrection.“At the last trump ... the dead shall be[pg 237]raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed,”1 Cor. 15:52.“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air,”1 Thess. 4:16, 17.His“golden crown”indicates that he is now to take to himself his great power, and to reign,“when the kingdoms of this world become our Lord's and his Christ's,”11:15, 17. Crowns are symbols of sovereignty. As such, they respectively denoted the periods, when the forms of government, symbolized by the heads of the beast (12:3) and its horns (13:1), bore rule. Now the diadem is to be transferred from them, to encircle the brow of earth's rightful Sovereign.The sharp sickle in his hand, indicates that the time of harvest has arrived; and the act of reaping, the gathering of the harvest. There are two gatherings symbolized, corresponding to the two classes of persons who are to be gathered.“The dead in Christ shall rise first,”and will be“caught up to meet the Lord in the air,”before the wicked are gathered, 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.“I will come again, and receive you unto myself,”said the Saviour, John 14:5. The Lord of the harvest directs its gathering, but effects it[pg 238]by the instrumentality of angels:“He shall send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven,”Mark 13:27. When thus gathered, they are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, where the Lord of the harvest sits. This is the separation of the righteous and wicked, who were to“grow together till the harvest,”which, says the Saviour,“is the end of the world,”Matt. 13:39.Mr. Lord suggests, that it is inconsistent with the dignity of Christ, to be notified by an angel when to begin his work; and therefore dissents from the application of the symbol to him. It may not, however, be necessary to consider the cry of the angel, as one of command. The angel may be a messenger from the Ancient of days, announcing the epoch of the resurrection. Or he may symbolize a body of men, who will be ardently praying for the return of the nobleman to take his kingdom.The harvest is spoken of in distinction from the gathering of the vine, and in contrast with it. Men harvest what they prize,—their grain and fruits. They do not harvest briers and thorns. They cut or reap both; but the act of reaping is not expressive of the destiny of what is reaped. This is indicated by the disposition made, and the terms applied; the one is gathered into the garner of the Lord; but the other is given to the consuming fire.[pg 239]The righteous being caught up to meet the Lord at his coming, the destruction of the wicked, which must precede the regeneration of the earth and descent of the saints, is next symbolized.The Reaping of the Vine.“And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over the fire, and called with a loud shout to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and cut off the clusters of the vine of the earth; for its grapes are ripe. And the angel cast in his sickle into the earth, and cut off the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even to the bridles of the horses, for the distance of one thousand six hundred furlongs.”—Rev. 14:17-20.The wicked also are gathered by the instrumentality of angels: said the Saviour,“As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth,”Matt. 13:40-42. In the parable of the tares, the Saviour said,“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,[pg 240]Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”Thus the tares were to be gatheredfirst—not before the righteous are gathered, but before the wheat is placed in the garner: the new earth being the garner where the righteous arefinallyto be gathered, they cannot be placed there till the wicked have been gathered out.“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,”Matt. 13:30, 43.The disposition of the vine, its being trodden down, and the great presence of blood flowing, symbolize the awful judgments to overtake the wicked, after the escape of the righteous, when they are gathered into bundles and burned. Thus Isaiah prophesied:“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat? I have trodden the wine-press alone: and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come,”Isa. 63:1-4.[pg 241]Before the destruction of the old world by the deluge, Noah was secure in the ark. Before the destruction of Sodom, Lot is removed to a place of safety. So before the destruction of the vine of the earth, the righteous are caught up to the Lord in the air, where they are symbolized, in the following chapter, as:The Victors on the Sea of Glass.“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for by these, the wrath of God is completed. And I saw as it were a transparent sea mingled with fire; and those who had obtained the victory over the wild beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing on the transparent sea, having harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, king of nations! Who should not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all nations will come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are manifested.”Rev. 15:1-4.This appears to close the vision commencing with the sixth verse of the 14th chapter, and to be independent of the remaining portion of the 15th chapter.These“seven angels,”in the subsequent vision, discharge the contents of the vials of God's wrath; but the epoch here presented is evidently subsequent to that fulfilment; for the imitation of the“Song of Moses,”must[pg 242]follow the infliction of the judgments which call forth that song of rejoicing. They had here completed the wrath of God, the manner of which act is subsequently shown in a separate vision.The“sea of glass,”must represent an elevation above the earth. For those stationed there had gotten the victory over the beast and his image, had escaped the wrath to be poured on those who worshipped those powers (14:9), had been gathered when the harvest of the earth was reaped (14:16), being then caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17), and now, the clusters of the vine of the earth having been gathered and cast into the wine-press of the wrath of God (14:19), they rejoice above the fires of earth, witnesses of the manifestations of God's judgments. They have come out of all their tribulations, and evidently synchronize with the palm-bearing multitude (Rev. 7:9), the hundred and forty-four thousand on Mount Zion (14:1), and the multitude in heaven who sing Alleluia over the judgment of the great harlot, 19:1.“The song of Moses,”was that sung by the Israelites when the Egyptians had perished in the waters of the Red Sea, and they were safely encamped on its further shore. The Lord had triumphed gloriously over the enemies of Israel, had buried the horse and his rider in the sea, and was about to plant[pg 243]his people in the mountain of his inheritance,—in the place which he had made for them to dwell in,—in the sanctuary which he had established, Ex. 15:1-21. The analogy requires that when this corresponding song is sung, the ransomed of the Lord shall have correspondingly witnessed the overthrow of the adversaries of Jehovah, and shall themselves have escaped from the perils of the many waters which had threatened to engulf them.The judgments of God being manifested on the nations of the ungodly, there are none remaining, only“the nations of them which are saved,”21:24. As these will all walk in the light of the new Jerusalem, those on the sea of glass may well sing:“Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?For thou only art Holy:For all nations shall come and worship before thee;For thy judgments are made manifest.”In accordance with the foregoing view, this synchronizes with the“new song”sung by those who are redeemed from every nation, kindred, tongue and people (5:9), who are afterwards seen standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, 14:3.[pg 244]

“And I looked, and behold a lamb stood on the mount Zion, and with him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having his name and the name of his Father written on their foreheads. And I heard a voice from heaven, like the voice of many waters, and like the voice of loud thunder: and the voice which I heard was like that of harpers playing with their harps: and they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four living beings, and the elders: and no one could learn the song except the hundred and forty-four thousand, who were redeemed from the earth. These are they, who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they who follow the Lamb wherever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, the first fruit to God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth no lie was found for they are faultless.”—Rev. 14:1-5.

The Lamb is shown by the connection to be Christ,—here called by one of his metaphorical names.

The Mount Zion, doubtless, symbolizes the place where, in the regeneration, the Lord will reign with his saints—i.e.in the new earth.“The Lord shall reign over them in Mount Zion,”Micah 4:7.—“And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take[pg 217]the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue, and people, and nation, and hast made us kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth,”5:9,10.—“And I saw a new heavens and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away.... And I heard a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall, be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God,”21:1-3.

The names of Mount Zion, and Jerusalem, were both used to denote the city which the Lord chose above all the goodly places of earth to put his name there. It is proper to designate the heavenly city, the new Jerusalem, by all the names which were applied to the old. The king is to be set upon the holy hill of Zion—“Walk about Zion, and go round about her: tell the towers thereof. Mark ye well her bulwarks, consider her palaces,”Psa. 48:12, 13.“When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in glory,”Ib.102:16.“For the Lord hath chosen Zion; he hath desired it for his habitation. This is my rest forever; here will I dwell; for I have desired it,”Ib.132:13, 14.“For the Lord shall comfort Zion: he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the[pg 218]Lord; and joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody.... Therefore the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion; and everlasting joy shall be upon their head: they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and mourning shall flee away.”Isa. 51:3-11.“Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion; put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean.... How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion,‘Thy God reigneth!’Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice; with the voice together shall they sing: for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. Break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem: for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem.”Ib.52:1-9.“And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.”Ib.59:20.

The standing of the Lamb on Mount Zion, symbolizes an epoch when Christ shall assume a corresponding relation to his people. He there appears in person; and“when Christ who is your life, shall appear, then shall ye[pg 219]also appear with him in glory,”Col. 3:4. It will not be till he shall have judged“the quick and the dead at his appearing,”(2 Tim. 4:1), that“the redeemed from among men”will“follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.”

The 144,000, who are with Christ, correspond with the number which are sealed,“of all the tribes of the children of Israel,”(7:4); and they are doubtless the same persons, who, under the sixth seal, are designated, among all denominations of Christians, by the mark of the living God. They are there shown to be the godly, who shall be alive on the earth at Christ's coming and shall then be changed, and, with the risen dead, caught up to meet him in the air.

The sealing process there symbolized, is here shown to be the inscribing of the Father's name on their foreheads. The subjects of the beast and its image, receive its mark; but the children of God and the Lamb, are designated instead, by the name of the Father.

The voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, with the voice of harpers, is the singing of the new song which none but the 144,000 could learn. Those who are translated at Christ's coming, will be favored above all, save two, who will have lived on the earth, insomuch as they will have been redeemed from the earth without being subjected to death.

These sing in the presence of the four living creatures and the elders, who symbolize those who also are redeemed from among men and will reign on the earth, 5:8-10. Consequently those must symbolize the resurrected dead, with whom the 144,000 will be ushered into the Lord's presence, 1 Thess. 4:16, 17. The two bodies of the redeemed, are therefore both represented with the Lord on Mount Zion.

Their not being defiled with women, probably implies that they were not guilty of idolatry, which is represented by that figure, Ezek. 16:15. They had not submitted to the wiles of the woman seated on the scarlet-colored beast, (17:3); had not worshipped the beast or its image (14:9), and had been true to their Divine Sovereign.

They follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. All the redeemed will doubtless thus follow the Lamb, for of all the“great multitude which no man could number, of all nations and kindreds, and people, and tongues,”who stood before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed“with white robes, and palms in their hands,”(7:9)—it was said:“The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water,”7:17.

Those who are redeemed from among men, are called the“first fruits unto God and to the[pg 221]Lamb.”They are not necessarily first fruits of the redeemed, to distinguish them from others of the redeemed, but are first fruits of the race:“Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind offirst fruitsof his creatures,”James 1:18. By his resurrection from the dead, Christ became“the first fruits of them that slept,”1 Cor. 15:20. And at his coming there is to be a“first resurrection”(20:6), when the bodies of the saints will“be fashioned like unto his glorious body”(Phil. 3:21), and thus become the first fruits with their risen Head. Those who come up at the second resurrection will not attain to that beatific state.

They are faultless, and without guile. They are not perfect by reason of any inherent goodness in themselves; for“all we like sheep have gone astray ... and the Lord laid on him the iniquity of us all,”Isa. 53:6. The redeemed church will be faultless, because its members will be sanctified and cleansed by the blood of Christ. Such will constitute“a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing ... holy and without blemish,”Eph. 5:27. While“the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light”of the New Jerusalem, and shall“bring their glory and honor into it,”there“shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or[pg 222]maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life,”21:24-27.

“There awaiteth at the endSuch a home, and such a Friend,Such a crown, and such a throne,Such a harp of heavenly tone,Such companions, such employ,Such a world of hallowed joy!”—Bunyan.

“There awaiteth at the end

Such a home, and such a Friend,

Such a crown, and such a throne,

Such a harp of heavenly tone,

Such companions, such employ,

Such a world of hallowed joy!”—Bunyan.

The Angel of the Everlasting Gospel.“And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting good news to preach to those dwelling on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and fountains of water!”—Rev. 14:6, 7.The era symbolized by the flight of this angel, has been applied, by different writers to the epoch of the Reformation, to that of modern missions, &c. The view here taken, is that it synchronizes with the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles.The angel flying through the midst of heaven, doubtless symbolizes a body of men conspicuous for their position, energetic in their movements, extensive in their operations, and urgent in their proclamation,—whose teachings correspond with this announcement of the angel.The message they bear is that of the everlasting gospel ευαγγελιον, (evangelion)—which[pg 223]is, literally, the good news, the glad tidings; that which brings“life and immortality to light,”2 Tim. 1:10. It is a message which foreshadows the resurrection and coming judgment at Christ's appearing; and is therefore called“the gospel of the kingdom,”(Matt. 4:23);—the good news of the glorious kingdom of the Son of God.It is the preaching of theeverlastinggospel which is thus symbolized. It is nonewgospel; for,“the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham,—saying: In thee shall all nations be blessed,”Gal. 3:8. And not Abraham alone, but all the fathers“did eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ,”1 Cor. 10:3, 4. Of this gospel the Jewish nation and a few proselytes, were for ages the sole recipients.“Unto them were committed the oracles of God.”Rom. 3:2. To them pertained“the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises,”Rom. 9:4. But the time had been foretold when the Gentiles should come to their light, and kings to the brightness of their rising, Isa. 60:3.With the coming of Christ, and his rejection of that nation, the gospel, was no longer to be confined within its former narrow limits. The[pg 224]Savior said to his disciples:“Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,”Matt. 28:19, 20.“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned,”Mark 16:15, 16.“Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures, and he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,”Luke 24:45-47.The fulfilment of those predictions and commands could not be more beautifully and appropriately symbolized, than by an angel flying“in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.”It could be no other gospel: for Paul testified:“Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel[pg 225]unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed,”Gal. 1:8, 9.In accordance with the divine command, to preach the gospel to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem, the apostles began their mission; and when the Jews rejected their message, they turned to the Gentiles, and went everywhere preaching the word“according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith,”Rom. 16:25, 26.The first converts to the faith, comprised“Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians,”Acts 2:9-12. When the Jews contradicted and blasphemed,“Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles,”Acts 13:46. Afterwards Paul, in writing to the Colossians, refers to the gospel as that“which was preached to[pg 226]every creature which is under heaven,”Col. 1:23.This gospel was to be preached to those who dwell on the earth, and also to all nations. The symbolic earth of the Apocalypse, being generally admitted to be the Roman empire under a quiet government, its fulfilment would require an early introduction of the gospel there. Accordingly we find, within thirty years after the crucifixion of Christ, a flourishing church existing in the metropolis of the Roman empire, to which Paul addressed one of his most able letters. In it, he thanks God that their“faith is spoken of throughout all the world,”Rom. 1:8. The apostle had then“fully preached the gospel of Christ”from Jerusalem“round about [the coast of the Mediterranean] unto Illyricum,”(Rom. 16:19);—a country on the Adriatic, or Gulf of Venice. He afterwards visited Rome, and is supposed to have preached the gospel as far west as Spain. The apostles spread Christianity throughout the Roman empire. Palestine, Syria, Natolia, Greece, the islands of the Mediterranean, Italy, and the northern coast of Africa, contained societies of Christians in the first century. In the second century societies existed, and Christ was worshipped, among the Germans, Spaniards, French, Celts, and Britons, and many other nations in Europe, and almost throughout the whole east. In the fourth century Christianity[pg 227]had become the prevailing religion of the empire.In later times the gospel which began to be preached at Jerusalem, has been extended to more distant countries, and is still finding its way to every tribe and people that have not before heard its joyful sound. Thus has the light of the gospel nearly encircled the globe, having been, in one age or another, proclaimed in every known country—fulfilling the words of the Saviour:“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come,”Matt. 24:14.“And the gospel must first be published among all nations,”Mark 13:10. It would not follow from these predictions that it must be preached at thesame timeto all nations, any more than the light of day shines on all parts of the earth at once: but all must have been illumined by it before the end.In accordance with this view, those who are finally redeemed to God“out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation”(5:9), are those who will“have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”(7:14), in consequence of this universal extension of the gospel.The command to fear and give glory to God, and to worship the Creator of all things implies that it was to be proclaimed to worshippers of false gods, and was not a mere[pg 228]proclamation addressed toactual Christians. The Gentiles to whom the apostles preachedwereactual worshippers of such, and needed to be taught the worship of thetrueGod. While Paul was at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands,”Acts 17:22-24.“Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led,”1 Cor. 12:2.“For they themselves show us of what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God: and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come,”1 Thess. 1:9, 10.The great motive, to be held forth to induce men to turn from the worship of idols to that of God, was the certainty of the approaching judgment. In accordance with this, the apostles make constant references to it. The Corinthians[pg 229]are exhorted to“come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ,”1 Cor. 1:7, 8. As Paul“reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled,”Acts 24:25. He said to the impenitent Romans, that they were“treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”Rom. 2:5. The first things which were presented in all their teachings were“the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment,”Heb. 6:1, 2. Thus“Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints,”Jude 14, 15.As Christ was to judge the world“at his appearing and kingdom”(2 Tim. 4:1), a reference to his coming always involved a consideration of the hour of his judgment; and his appearing was a great incentive to holiness.“For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,”Phil. 3:20. And“when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory,”Col. 3:4.“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence[pg 230]of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”1 Thess. 2:19.“To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints,”Ib.3:13.“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord,”Ib.4:14-17.“And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,”2 Thess. 1:7, 8.Not only the apostles, but their successors, in succeeding ages, have constantly made reference to the judgment, as the motive to holiness. Beginning in the days of the apostles, the same gospel has been continued by a succession of men to the present time; and those who are now preaching, or who support those[pg 231]who so preach the everlasting gospel, in connection with the warning of approaching judgment, must be regarded as belonging to the same body of men symbolized by the angel flying in the midst of heaven.Commencing in the apostolic age, sections of the globe were evangelized—in Asia and Africa, that have never received the gospel since, either under the reformers or by modern missionaries. But beginning with the dispensation of the gospel to the Gentiles, its fulfilment is found in China, in Tartary, in Japan, in Egypt, and Ethiopia, and in lands so remote that no one can say it has not been almost universally promulgated.

“And I saw another angel flying in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting good news to preach to those dwelling on the earth, and to every nation, and tribe, and tongue, and people, saying with a loud voice, Fear God and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him who made the heaven, and the earth, and the sea, and fountains of water!”—Rev. 14:6, 7.

The era symbolized by the flight of this angel, has been applied, by different writers to the epoch of the Reformation, to that of modern missions, &c. The view here taken, is that it synchronizes with the preaching of the gospel to the Gentiles.

The angel flying through the midst of heaven, doubtless symbolizes a body of men conspicuous for their position, energetic in their movements, extensive in their operations, and urgent in their proclamation,—whose teachings correspond with this announcement of the angel.

The message they bear is that of the everlasting gospel ευαγγελιον, (evangelion)—which[pg 223]is, literally, the good news, the glad tidings; that which brings“life and immortality to light,”2 Tim. 1:10. It is a message which foreshadows the resurrection and coming judgment at Christ's appearing; and is therefore called“the gospel of the kingdom,”(Matt. 4:23);—the good news of the glorious kingdom of the Son of God.

It is the preaching of theeverlastinggospel which is thus symbolized. It is nonewgospel; for,“the Scripture foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham,—saying: In thee shall all nations be blessed,”Gal. 3:8. And not Abraham alone, but all the fathers“did eat the same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that rock was Christ,”1 Cor. 10:3, 4. Of this gospel the Jewish nation and a few proselytes, were for ages the sole recipients.“Unto them were committed the oracles of God.”Rom. 3:2. To them pertained“the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving of the law, and the service of God, and the promises,”Rom. 9:4. But the time had been foretold when the Gentiles should come to their light, and kings to the brightness of their rising, Isa. 60:3.

With the coming of Christ, and his rejection of that nation, the gospel, was no longer to be confined within its former narrow limits. The[pg 224]Savior said to his disciples:“Go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world,”Matt. 28:19, 20.“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned,”Mark 16:15, 16.“Then opened he their understanding that they might understand the Scriptures, and he said unto them, Thus it is written, and thus it behoved Christ to suffer, to rise from the dead the third day: and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem,”Luke 24:45-47.

The fulfilment of those predictions and commands could not be more beautifully and appropriately symbolized, than by an angel flying“in the midst of heaven having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people.”It could be no other gospel: for Paul testified:“Though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed. As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel[pg 225]unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed,”Gal. 1:8, 9.

In accordance with the divine command, to preach the gospel to all the nations, beginning at Jerusalem, the apostles began their mission; and when the Jews rejected their message, they turned to the Gentiles, and went everywhere preaching the word“according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith,”Rom. 16:25, 26.

The first converts to the faith, comprised“Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians,”Acts 2:9-12. When the Jews contradicted and blasphemed,“Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, and said, It was necessary that the word of God should first have been spoken to you: but seeing ye put it from you, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles,”Acts 13:46. Afterwards Paul, in writing to the Colossians, refers to the gospel as that“which was preached to[pg 226]every creature which is under heaven,”Col. 1:23.

This gospel was to be preached to those who dwell on the earth, and also to all nations. The symbolic earth of the Apocalypse, being generally admitted to be the Roman empire under a quiet government, its fulfilment would require an early introduction of the gospel there. Accordingly we find, within thirty years after the crucifixion of Christ, a flourishing church existing in the metropolis of the Roman empire, to which Paul addressed one of his most able letters. In it, he thanks God that their“faith is spoken of throughout all the world,”Rom. 1:8. The apostle had then“fully preached the gospel of Christ”from Jerusalem“round about [the coast of the Mediterranean] unto Illyricum,”(Rom. 16:19);—a country on the Adriatic, or Gulf of Venice. He afterwards visited Rome, and is supposed to have preached the gospel as far west as Spain. The apostles spread Christianity throughout the Roman empire. Palestine, Syria, Natolia, Greece, the islands of the Mediterranean, Italy, and the northern coast of Africa, contained societies of Christians in the first century. In the second century societies existed, and Christ was worshipped, among the Germans, Spaniards, French, Celts, and Britons, and many other nations in Europe, and almost throughout the whole east. In the fourth century Christianity[pg 227]had become the prevailing religion of the empire.

In later times the gospel which began to be preached at Jerusalem, has been extended to more distant countries, and is still finding its way to every tribe and people that have not before heard its joyful sound. Thus has the light of the gospel nearly encircled the globe, having been, in one age or another, proclaimed in every known country—fulfilling the words of the Saviour:“And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations; and then shall the end come,”Matt. 24:14.“And the gospel must first be published among all nations,”Mark 13:10. It would not follow from these predictions that it must be preached at thesame timeto all nations, any more than the light of day shines on all parts of the earth at once: but all must have been illumined by it before the end.

In accordance with this view, those who are finally redeemed to God“out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation”(5:9), are those who will“have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb”(7:14), in consequence of this universal extension of the gospel.

The command to fear and give glory to God, and to worship the Creator of all things implies that it was to be proclaimed to worshippers of false gods, and was not a mere[pg 228]proclamation addressed toactual Christians. The Gentiles to whom the apostles preachedwereactual worshippers of such, and needed to be taught the worship of thetrueGod. While Paul was at Athens, his spirit was stirred within him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.“Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you. God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is the Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands,”Acts 17:22-24.“Ye know that ye were Gentiles, carried away unto these dumb idols, even as ye were led,”1 Cor. 12:2.“For they themselves show us of what manner of entering in we had unto you, and how ye turned to God from idols, to serve the living and true God: and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, even Jesus, which delivered us from the wrath to come,”1 Thess. 1:9, 10.

The great motive, to be held forth to induce men to turn from the worship of idols to that of God, was the certainty of the approaching judgment. In accordance with this, the apostles make constant references to it. The Corinthians[pg 229]are exhorted to“come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall also confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ,”1 Cor. 1:7, 8. As Paul“reasoned of righteousness, temperance, and judgment to come, Felix trembled,”Acts 24:25. He said to the impenitent Romans, that they were“treasuring up to themselves wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of the righteous judgment of God,”Rom. 2:5. The first things which were presented in all their teachings were“the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God, of the doctrine of baptisms, and of laying on of hands, and of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment,”Heb. 6:1, 2. Thus“Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold the Lord cometh with ten thousand of his saints,”Jude 14, 15.

As Christ was to judge the world“at his appearing and kingdom”(2 Tim. 4:1), a reference to his coming always involved a consideration of the hour of his judgment; and his appearing was a great incentive to holiness.“For our conversation is in heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ,”Phil. 3:20. And“when Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory,”Col. 3:4.“For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even ye in the presence[pg 230]of our Lord Jesus Christ at his coming?”1 Thess. 2:19.“To the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints,”Ib.3:13.“For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord,”Ib.4:14-17.“And to you who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ,”2 Thess. 1:7, 8.

Not only the apostles, but their successors, in succeeding ages, have constantly made reference to the judgment, as the motive to holiness. Beginning in the days of the apostles, the same gospel has been continued by a succession of men to the present time; and those who are now preaching, or who support those[pg 231]who so preach the everlasting gospel, in connection with the warning of approaching judgment, must be regarded as belonging to the same body of men symbolized by the angel flying in the midst of heaven.

Commencing in the apostolic age, sections of the globe were evangelized—in Asia and Africa, that have never received the gospel since, either under the reformers or by modern missionaries. But beginning with the dispensation of the gospel to the Gentiles, its fulfilment is found in China, in Tartary, in Japan, in Egypt, and Ethiopia, and in lands so remote that no one can say it has not been almost universally promulgated.

The Angel announcing the Fall of Babylon.“And another angel, a second, followed, saying, She is fallen! Babylon the great is fallen! She made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication!”—Rev. 14:8.This angel, like the former, must symbolize a body of religious teachers. The former resulted in the spread of Christianity. This announces the fall of a corrupt hierarchy.Babylon being regarded as a symbol of the Roman church, her fall must be understood to be her loss of power, as mistress of the kings of the earth; and synchronizes with her displacement[pg 232]from her position on the beast, as symbolized in the 17th chapter. The epoch of her fall, and consequently of the flight of this angel, is that of the Reformation, when the corruptions of the Papal See were first exposed, and it was denounced as the Apocalyptic harlot. The argument for this application is given in the exposition of Rev. 18:1, which is a repetition of the symbol here given, p.300.

“And another angel, a second, followed, saying, She is fallen! Babylon the great is fallen! She made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication!”—Rev. 14:8.

This angel, like the former, must symbolize a body of religious teachers. The former resulted in the spread of Christianity. This announces the fall of a corrupt hierarchy.

Babylon being regarded as a symbol of the Roman church, her fall must be understood to be her loss of power, as mistress of the kings of the earth; and synchronizes with her displacement[pg 232]from her position on the beast, as symbolized in the 17th chapter. The epoch of her fall, and consequently of the flight of this angel, is that of the Reformation, when the corruptions of the Papal See were first exposed, and it was denounced as the Apocalyptic harlot. The argument for this application is given in the exposition of Rev. 18:1, which is a repetition of the symbol here given, p.300.

The Wrath-denouncing Angel.“And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any one worship the wild beast and his image, and receive his mark on his forehead, or on his hand, even he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out unmingled into the cup of his wrath; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night, who worship the wild beast and his image, and whoever receiveth the mark of his name!”—Rev. 14:9-11.The cry of this angel synchronizes with the“voice from heaven”(18:4), and follows the discovery of the corruptions of Romanism.—See the exposition of that Scripture, p.307.The worship of the beast consisted in a regard for it, equivalent to saying,“Who is like unto the beast? and, Who is able to make war with him?”13:4. To worship, is to manifest homage and respect. To worship[pg 233]any inferior object, is to bestow on it the confidence and affection which is due only to God. It is to trust in it, as invincible, able to protect, and infallible in judgment. Thus to regard any civil or ecclesiastical organization, is to substitute it for Him, by whom the powers that be are ordained (Rom. 13:1), who giveth the kingdom to whomsoever he will (Dan. 4:17), and by whom alone, kings reign, and princes decree justice, Prov. 8:15.Whenever any civil or ecclesiastical enactment conflicts with the requisitions of Jehovah, that power is worshipped, which is obeyed in preference to the other:“Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey?”Rom. 6:16. The worship of God is incompatible with obedience to any power which compels a violation of His laws. Due obedience to government is commanded, when no question of conscience is involved. When it is, no forcible resistance to the execution of the law is permitted; but while God is obeyed, the penalty of the law is to be meekly endured.The early Christians chose death, rather than to deny their Saviour at the command of Jewish Sanhedrim or Roman emperor. When Peter and John were commanded“not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus,”their answer was,“Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than[pg 234]unto God, judge ye; for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard,”Acts 4:19, 20. In like manner, the Christians living at the epoch of this angel, were to be similarly tried, which is implied in the command, not to worship.So soon as the reformers were placed in direct conflict with the Church of Rome, her anathemas were hurled against all who assented not to her mummeries. And the power of the civil arm was also brought into exercise to compel obedience to her commands. Those who maintained their integrity, did so in opposition to the requirements of the church and state; while those who submitted to the state as invincible, or to the church as infallible, extended to the beast or its image that homage and regard which was due to God. They thus acknowledged themselves the servants of him whom they obeyed, and subjected themselves to the wrath of God.The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest, day nor night, who worship the beast and his image. While the righteous enter into rest, the wicked are like the troubled sea which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, Isa. 57:20.

“And another angel, a third, followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any one worship the wild beast and his image, and receive his mark on his forehead, or on his hand, even he will drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out unmingled into the cup of his wrath; and he will be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb: and the smoke of their torment ascendeth for ever and ever: and they have no rest day or night, who worship the wild beast and his image, and whoever receiveth the mark of his name!”—Rev. 14:9-11.

The cry of this angel synchronizes with the“voice from heaven”(18:4), and follows the discovery of the corruptions of Romanism.—See the exposition of that Scripture, p.307.

The worship of the beast consisted in a regard for it, equivalent to saying,“Who is like unto the beast? and, Who is able to make war with him?”13:4. To worship, is to manifest homage and respect. To worship[pg 233]any inferior object, is to bestow on it the confidence and affection which is due only to God. It is to trust in it, as invincible, able to protect, and infallible in judgment. Thus to regard any civil or ecclesiastical organization, is to substitute it for Him, by whom the powers that be are ordained (Rom. 13:1), who giveth the kingdom to whomsoever he will (Dan. 4:17), and by whom alone, kings reign, and princes decree justice, Prov. 8:15.

Whenever any civil or ecclesiastical enactment conflicts with the requisitions of Jehovah, that power is worshipped, which is obeyed in preference to the other:“Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are whom ye obey?”Rom. 6:16. The worship of God is incompatible with obedience to any power which compels a violation of His laws. Due obedience to government is commanded, when no question of conscience is involved. When it is, no forcible resistance to the execution of the law is permitted; but while God is obeyed, the penalty of the law is to be meekly endured.

The early Christians chose death, rather than to deny their Saviour at the command of Jewish Sanhedrim or Roman emperor. When Peter and John were commanded“not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus,”their answer was,“Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than[pg 234]unto God, judge ye; for we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard,”Acts 4:19, 20. In like manner, the Christians living at the epoch of this angel, were to be similarly tried, which is implied in the command, not to worship.

So soon as the reformers were placed in direct conflict with the Church of Rome, her anathemas were hurled against all who assented not to her mummeries. And the power of the civil arm was also brought into exercise to compel obedience to her commands. Those who maintained their integrity, did so in opposition to the requirements of the church and state; while those who submitted to the state as invincible, or to the church as infallible, extended to the beast or its image that homage and regard which was due to God. They thus acknowledged themselves the servants of him whom they obeyed, and subjected themselves to the wrath of God.

The smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever, and they have no rest, day nor night, who worship the beast and his image. While the righteous enter into rest, the wicked are like the troubled sea which cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt, Isa. 57:20.

The Harvest of the Earth.“Here is the patience of the saints: here are those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, Happy the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth! Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their toils; and their works go with them. And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and one was seated on the cloud like the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him seated on the cloud, Thrust forth thy sickle and reap: for the hour is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he, who sat on the cloud, cast his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”—Rev. 14:12-16.The announcement that here are they who keep the commandments of God, implies that, at the epoch symbolized, they are to be the subjects of special notice. By the voice from heaven, they are shown to include all of the dead who have died in the Lord; and their being blessed from thenceforth, indicates that they will at that epoch enter upon their eternal reward.The“rest”of the righteous, is at the advent of Christ:—“To you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven,”2 Thess. 1:6.“There remaineth a rest for the people of God,”Heb. 4:9.On hearing the voice from heaven, the revelator looked, and beheld on a cloud“one like the Son of man.”In Ezek. 1:26,“the[pg 236]likeness as the appearance of a man,”upon“the likeness of the throne,”is explained to be“the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.”In Dan. 7:13,“one like the Son of man,”who comes to the Ancient of days, is evidently a symbol of Christ. In Rev. 1:13,“one like unto the Son of man,”is the one who was alive, was dead, and is alive forevermore. The same symbol repeated, must here also be a representative of Christ.His position on a cloud, indicates the arrival of the period when he is to be manifested in mid-heaven:“Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him,”1:7.“One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him,”Dan. 7:13, 14.“And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels, with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,”Matt. 24:30, 31.The epoch of this manifestation, according to the above, is that of the last trump, the second advent, and the first resurrection.“At the last trump ... the dead shall be[pg 237]raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed,”1 Cor. 15:52.“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air,”1 Thess. 4:16, 17.His“golden crown”indicates that he is now to take to himself his great power, and to reign,“when the kingdoms of this world become our Lord's and his Christ's,”11:15, 17. Crowns are symbols of sovereignty. As such, they respectively denoted the periods, when the forms of government, symbolized by the heads of the beast (12:3) and its horns (13:1), bore rule. Now the diadem is to be transferred from them, to encircle the brow of earth's rightful Sovereign.The sharp sickle in his hand, indicates that the time of harvest has arrived; and the act of reaping, the gathering of the harvest. There are two gatherings symbolized, corresponding to the two classes of persons who are to be gathered.“The dead in Christ shall rise first,”and will be“caught up to meet the Lord in the air,”before the wicked are gathered, 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.“I will come again, and receive you unto myself,”said the Saviour, John 14:5. The Lord of the harvest directs its gathering, but effects it[pg 238]by the instrumentality of angels:“He shall send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven,”Mark 13:27. When thus gathered, they are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, where the Lord of the harvest sits. This is the separation of the righteous and wicked, who were to“grow together till the harvest,”which, says the Saviour,“is the end of the world,”Matt. 13:39.Mr. Lord suggests, that it is inconsistent with the dignity of Christ, to be notified by an angel when to begin his work; and therefore dissents from the application of the symbol to him. It may not, however, be necessary to consider the cry of the angel, as one of command. The angel may be a messenger from the Ancient of days, announcing the epoch of the resurrection. Or he may symbolize a body of men, who will be ardently praying for the return of the nobleman to take his kingdom.The harvest is spoken of in distinction from the gathering of the vine, and in contrast with it. Men harvest what they prize,—their grain and fruits. They do not harvest briers and thorns. They cut or reap both; but the act of reaping is not expressive of the destiny of what is reaped. This is indicated by the disposition made, and the terms applied; the one is gathered into the garner of the Lord; but the other is given to the consuming fire.[pg 239]The righteous being caught up to meet the Lord at his coming, the destruction of the wicked, which must precede the regeneration of the earth and descent of the saints, is next symbolized.

“Here is the patience of the saints: here are those who keep the commandments of God, and the faith of Jesus. And I heard a voice from heaven, saying, Write, Happy the dead who die in the Lord, from henceforth! Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their toils; and their works go with them. And I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and one was seated on the cloud like the Son of man, having on his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle. And another angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him seated on the cloud, Thrust forth thy sickle and reap: for the hour is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. And he, who sat on the cloud, cast his sickle on the earth; and the earth was reaped.”—Rev. 14:12-16.

The announcement that here are they who keep the commandments of God, implies that, at the epoch symbolized, they are to be the subjects of special notice. By the voice from heaven, they are shown to include all of the dead who have died in the Lord; and their being blessed from thenceforth, indicates that they will at that epoch enter upon their eternal reward.

The“rest”of the righteous, is at the advent of Christ:—“To you who are troubled, rest with us when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven,”2 Thess. 1:6.“There remaineth a rest for the people of God,”Heb. 4:9.

On hearing the voice from heaven, the revelator looked, and beheld on a cloud“one like the Son of man.”In Ezek. 1:26,“the[pg 236]likeness as the appearance of a man,”upon“the likeness of the throne,”is explained to be“the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord.”In Dan. 7:13,“one like the Son of man,”who comes to the Ancient of days, is evidently a symbol of Christ. In Rev. 1:13,“one like unto the Son of man,”is the one who was alive, was dead, and is alive forevermore. The same symbol repeated, must here also be a representative of Christ.

His position on a cloud, indicates the arrival of the period when he is to be manifested in mid-heaven:“Behold he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him,”1:7.“One like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages should serve him,”Dan. 7:13, 14.“And they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels, with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other,”Matt. 24:30, 31.

The epoch of this manifestation, according to the above, is that of the last trump, the second advent, and the first resurrection.“At the last trump ... the dead shall be[pg 237]raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed,”1 Cor. 15:52.“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first; then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air,”1 Thess. 4:16, 17.

His“golden crown”indicates that he is now to take to himself his great power, and to reign,“when the kingdoms of this world become our Lord's and his Christ's,”11:15, 17. Crowns are symbols of sovereignty. As such, they respectively denoted the periods, when the forms of government, symbolized by the heads of the beast (12:3) and its horns (13:1), bore rule. Now the diadem is to be transferred from them, to encircle the brow of earth's rightful Sovereign.

The sharp sickle in his hand, indicates that the time of harvest has arrived; and the act of reaping, the gathering of the harvest. There are two gatherings symbolized, corresponding to the two classes of persons who are to be gathered.“The dead in Christ shall rise first,”and will be“caught up to meet the Lord in the air,”before the wicked are gathered, 1 Thess. 4:16, 17.“I will come again, and receive you unto myself,”said the Saviour, John 14:5. The Lord of the harvest directs its gathering, but effects it[pg 238]by the instrumentality of angels:“He shall send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from the uttermost part of the earth, to the uttermost part of heaven,”Mark 13:27. When thus gathered, they are caught up to meet the Lord in the air, where the Lord of the harvest sits. This is the separation of the righteous and wicked, who were to“grow together till the harvest,”which, says the Saviour,“is the end of the world,”Matt. 13:39.

Mr. Lord suggests, that it is inconsistent with the dignity of Christ, to be notified by an angel when to begin his work; and therefore dissents from the application of the symbol to him. It may not, however, be necessary to consider the cry of the angel, as one of command. The angel may be a messenger from the Ancient of days, announcing the epoch of the resurrection. Or he may symbolize a body of men, who will be ardently praying for the return of the nobleman to take his kingdom.

The harvest is spoken of in distinction from the gathering of the vine, and in contrast with it. Men harvest what they prize,—their grain and fruits. They do not harvest briers and thorns. They cut or reap both; but the act of reaping is not expressive of the destiny of what is reaped. This is indicated by the disposition made, and the terms applied; the one is gathered into the garner of the Lord; but the other is given to the consuming fire.

The righteous being caught up to meet the Lord at his coming, the destruction of the wicked, which must precede the regeneration of the earth and descent of the saints, is next symbolized.

The Reaping of the Vine.“And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over the fire, and called with a loud shout to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and cut off the clusters of the vine of the earth; for its grapes are ripe. And the angel cast in his sickle into the earth, and cut off the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even to the bridles of the horses, for the distance of one thousand six hundred furlongs.”—Rev. 14:17-20.The wicked also are gathered by the instrumentality of angels: said the Saviour,“As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth,”Matt. 13:40-42. In the parable of the tares, the Saviour said,“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,[pg 240]Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”Thus the tares were to be gatheredfirst—not before the righteous are gathered, but before the wheat is placed in the garner: the new earth being the garner where the righteous arefinallyto be gathered, they cannot be placed there till the wicked have been gathered out.“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,”Matt. 13:30, 43.The disposition of the vine, its being trodden down, and the great presence of blood flowing, symbolize the awful judgments to overtake the wicked, after the escape of the righteous, when they are gathered into bundles and burned. Thus Isaiah prophesied:“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat? I have trodden the wine-press alone: and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come,”Isa. 63:1-4.[pg 241]Before the destruction of the old world by the deluge, Noah was secure in the ark. Before the destruction of Sodom, Lot is removed to a place of safety. So before the destruction of the vine of the earth, the righteous are caught up to the Lord in the air, where they are symbolized, in the following chapter, as:

“And another angel came out of the temple in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. And another angel came out from the altar, who had power over the fire, and called with a loud shout to him who had the sharp sickle, saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and cut off the clusters of the vine of the earth; for its grapes are ripe. And the angel cast in his sickle into the earth, and cut off the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great wine-press of the wrath of God. And the wine-press was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the wine-press, even to the bridles of the horses, for the distance of one thousand six hundred furlongs.”—Rev. 14:17-20.

The wicked also are gathered by the instrumentality of angels: said the Saviour,“As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire; so shall it be in the end of this world. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth,”Matt. 13:40-42. In the parable of the tares, the Saviour said,“Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers,[pg 240]Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.”Thus the tares were to be gatheredfirst—not before the righteous are gathered, but before the wheat is placed in the garner: the new earth being the garner where the righteous arefinallyto be gathered, they cannot be placed there till the wicked have been gathered out.“Then shall the righteous shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father. Who hath ears to hear, let him hear,”Matt. 13:30, 43.

The disposition of the vine, its being trodden down, and the great presence of blood flowing, symbolize the awful judgments to overtake the wicked, after the escape of the righteous, when they are gathered into bundles and burned. Thus Isaiah prophesied:“Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red in thine apparel, and thy garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat? I have trodden the wine-press alone: and of the people there was none with me: for I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come,”Isa. 63:1-4.

Before the destruction of the old world by the deluge, Noah was secure in the ark. Before the destruction of Sodom, Lot is removed to a place of safety. So before the destruction of the vine of the earth, the righteous are caught up to the Lord in the air, where they are symbolized, in the following chapter, as:

The Victors on the Sea of Glass.“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for by these, the wrath of God is completed. And I saw as it were a transparent sea mingled with fire; and those who had obtained the victory over the wild beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing on the transparent sea, having harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, king of nations! Who should not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all nations will come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are manifested.”Rev. 15:1-4.This appears to close the vision commencing with the sixth verse of the 14th chapter, and to be independent of the remaining portion of the 15th chapter.These“seven angels,”in the subsequent vision, discharge the contents of the vials of God's wrath; but the epoch here presented is evidently subsequent to that fulfilment; for the imitation of the“Song of Moses,”must[pg 242]follow the infliction of the judgments which call forth that song of rejoicing. They had here completed the wrath of God, the manner of which act is subsequently shown in a separate vision.The“sea of glass,”must represent an elevation above the earth. For those stationed there had gotten the victory over the beast and his image, had escaped the wrath to be poured on those who worshipped those powers (14:9), had been gathered when the harvest of the earth was reaped (14:16), being then caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17), and now, the clusters of the vine of the earth having been gathered and cast into the wine-press of the wrath of God (14:19), they rejoice above the fires of earth, witnesses of the manifestations of God's judgments. They have come out of all their tribulations, and evidently synchronize with the palm-bearing multitude (Rev. 7:9), the hundred and forty-four thousand on Mount Zion (14:1), and the multitude in heaven who sing Alleluia over the judgment of the great harlot, 19:1.“The song of Moses,”was that sung by the Israelites when the Egyptians had perished in the waters of the Red Sea, and they were safely encamped on its further shore. The Lord had triumphed gloriously over the enemies of Israel, had buried the horse and his rider in the sea, and was about to plant[pg 243]his people in the mountain of his inheritance,—in the place which he had made for them to dwell in,—in the sanctuary which he had established, Ex. 15:1-21. The analogy requires that when this corresponding song is sung, the ransomed of the Lord shall have correspondingly witnessed the overthrow of the adversaries of Jehovah, and shall themselves have escaped from the perils of the many waters which had threatened to engulf them.The judgments of God being manifested on the nations of the ungodly, there are none remaining, only“the nations of them which are saved,”21:24. As these will all walk in the light of the new Jerusalem, those on the sea of glass may well sing:“Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?For thou only art Holy:For all nations shall come and worship before thee;For thy judgments are made manifest.”In accordance with the foregoing view, this synchronizes with the“new song”sung by those who are redeemed from every nation, kindred, tongue and people (5:9), who are afterwards seen standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, 14:3.

“And I saw another sign in heaven, great and wonderful, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for by these, the wrath of God is completed. And I saw as it were a transparent sea mingled with fire; and those who had obtained the victory over the wild beast, and over his image, and over the number of his name, standing on the transparent sea, having harps of God. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, king of nations! Who should not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy; for all nations will come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are manifested.”Rev. 15:1-4.

This appears to close the vision commencing with the sixth verse of the 14th chapter, and to be independent of the remaining portion of the 15th chapter.

These“seven angels,”in the subsequent vision, discharge the contents of the vials of God's wrath; but the epoch here presented is evidently subsequent to that fulfilment; for the imitation of the“Song of Moses,”must[pg 242]follow the infliction of the judgments which call forth that song of rejoicing. They had here completed the wrath of God, the manner of which act is subsequently shown in a separate vision.

The“sea of glass,”must represent an elevation above the earth. For those stationed there had gotten the victory over the beast and his image, had escaped the wrath to be poured on those who worshipped those powers (14:9), had been gathered when the harvest of the earth was reaped (14:16), being then caught up to meet the Lord in the air (1 Thess. 4:17), and now, the clusters of the vine of the earth having been gathered and cast into the wine-press of the wrath of God (14:19), they rejoice above the fires of earth, witnesses of the manifestations of God's judgments. They have come out of all their tribulations, and evidently synchronize with the palm-bearing multitude (Rev. 7:9), the hundred and forty-four thousand on Mount Zion (14:1), and the multitude in heaven who sing Alleluia over the judgment of the great harlot, 19:1.

“The song of Moses,”was that sung by the Israelites when the Egyptians had perished in the waters of the Red Sea, and they were safely encamped on its further shore. The Lord had triumphed gloriously over the enemies of Israel, had buried the horse and his rider in the sea, and was about to plant[pg 243]his people in the mountain of his inheritance,—in the place which he had made for them to dwell in,—in the sanctuary which he had established, Ex. 15:1-21. The analogy requires that when this corresponding song is sung, the ransomed of the Lord shall have correspondingly witnessed the overthrow of the adversaries of Jehovah, and shall themselves have escaped from the perils of the many waters which had threatened to engulf them.

The judgments of God being manifested on the nations of the ungodly, there are none remaining, only“the nations of them which are saved,”21:24. As these will all walk in the light of the new Jerusalem, those on the sea of glass may well sing:

“Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?For thou only art Holy:For all nations shall come and worship before thee;For thy judgments are made manifest.”

“Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty!

Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints!

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name?

For thou only art Holy:

For all nations shall come and worship before thee;

For thy judgments are made manifest.”

In accordance with the foregoing view, this synchronizes with the“new song”sung by those who are redeemed from every nation, kindred, tongue and people (5:9), who are afterwards seen standing with the Lamb on Mount Zion, 14:3.

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