An exposition of the fulfilled prophecies of the Apocalypse from the first seal to ... chapter xix

Whether I have succeeded, is not for me to determine. But I may say, that I have pursued an independent course of study, and that by uniformly resorting to the Sacred keys, as well as to the historic, I have been led to results that are widely different from the views of every other commentator; in the division of the prophecy, in the relation of the parts to one another and to the whole, in the uniform signification of the symbols, in the scope of many symbolic visions, their time and order, and generally in the events by which they are fulfilled.

Induced by circumstances, which need not now be specified, I attempted, some years ago, to explain the seventeenth chapter of the Apocalypse; but I soon found it must be studied in connexion with many other visions. While engaged in these investigations I was gradually convinced that the Apocalypse, from the first seal to the end of chapter xix., is a great prophetic system, and that it can be understood only by being studied as a whole, and in connexion with the prophecies of the Old Testament. I was thus made to see the necessity of the uniform application of the Apocalyptic and prophetic keys, as well as of the historic.

I beg to direct particularly the reader's attention to the manner in which they have been used, and to the light that has thereby been thrown on visions that are, otherwise, so dark and inexplicable.

As the Apocalypse is a closely connected system, which ought to be viewed as a whole, and not in detached portions, I should have liked to publish the entire of my exposition at once, or at least to the end of chapter xii., where a very remarkable Apocalyptic and historic

period terminates. But I could not venture to incur the expense of a large book; so my exposition must end, for the present, with the fourth trumpet.

Of course it depends very much upon the reception of the first part, when the second shall appear.

But I have

a confident hope, that the reader will be satisfied with the soundness of the principles, and the fairness with which they are applied; and that he will feel, that no inconsiderable amount of information, not readily to be got elsewhere, has been communicated on the Apocalypse, on prophecy in general, and on some historical subjects of great interest.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.-PAGE 1 to 14.

The object of the work-Contents of the fulfilled prophecies of the Apocalypse
from c. vi. to the end of c. xix.,
Principles of interpretation-This part of the Revelation a system of prophecy,
Its Scope-Revelation, xix., 10-Bishop Hurd,
Seeming ambiguity of many symbolic visions-The double kingdom of the Lord-
Bishops Pearson and Butler-His double kingdom the subject of many
prophecies-The prophecies referred to, or interwoven with, fix the scope of
the symbolic visions-Reason, authorities, and examples,
Symbolic style of the Apocalypse-The general use of symbols in ancient times
-Examples-Sacred symbols-The meaning of the enigmatic symbols
fixed by scripture,

Prophecy interpreted by history-Necessity of, illustrated by Daniel, ii., vii.,
Place and time of the events a part of the prophecy,

The order of the prophecy, Rev. vi.-xix., not the order of the visions-The
reason,

Difficult to determine with certainty when the Apocalypse was seen-' -The deter

mination of it not necessary to understand the visions that have been ful-
filled-If the Apocalypse were seen in the reign of Domitian, would the
exposition be thereby invalidated that refers to an earlier date, the com-
mencing chain of a series of events, which are supposed to fulfil a vision,
because they correspond with its characteristic notes and the other condi-
tions required by the Apocalyptic system?-The question examined-The
Analogy of Daniel, vii.,

Summary of the principles of interpretation,

Their use to the expositor and the reader,

CHAPTER II.-PAGE 15 to 27.

The first seal, considered by itself, contains no notes to fix the time, place, or
character of the events which fulfil it-The scope is to be ascertained by
the symbols,
The white horse and rider, Rev. xix. 11, &c.—The Lord introduced twice in
in the Apocalypse on a white horse, why-Rev. xix. 11, &c., determines
the scope of the first seal to be the propagation of the Gospel,
This, confirmed by the prophecies of the Old Testament, wherein the symbols

of the seal are found-Psalm, xlv. 1, 9-Its evangelical character and
scope-The translators of the Bible-Augustine-Bishop Horsley,
The bow expressly given to the Lord, Zech. ix. 13-The subject and scope of
this prophecy-Ancient and modern expositors,

A crown the subject of many prophecies-The crown of Israel given to David, Solomon, &c.-Taken off from Zedekiah-Reserved for the Messiah, Ezek. xxi. 25, 27-The theocracy-A crown symbolically given to the Messiah, Zech. vi. 12, 13-Its evangelical character-The regal dignity claimed by the Lord while on earth, and exercised in its fundamental rights shortly after His ascension-The apocalyptic imagery of St. Paul,

ib.

He went forth conquering and to conquer-The propagation of the Gospel by the
Lord, the subject of the seal, ascribed to Him in other prophecies, and in
the New Testament, the Apostles and other missionaries being instruments
in His hands,

Its rapid progress—Acts, xix. 17, &c.—Pliny,

Summary,

CHAPTER III.-REVELATION, Xix., 11, &c.—PAGE 28 to 40.

Preliminary remarks and scope of the vision,

The earth, the Roman empire, from the Rhine to the Euphrates-Josephus,
Plutarch, Virgil, Tacitus, Lactantius, Rev. xvii.-A woman sits on the
beast-This woman, a great city, has the characteristic marks of Rome-
She sits on, or is built on, seven hills-She is under her sixth form of
government in the Apostle's time-She reigns over the kings of the earth,
The kings of the earth, the subject nations of Rome,

The beast, the Roman or fourth monarchy-Its proper territories on this side of
Greece, Daniel, vii., 12-Sir Isaac Newton-Bishop Hurd,

The time when the symbolical war, c. xix., begins-Its coincidence with other
apocalyptic periods and the "day of vengeance,"

The beast exists in two different states, Rev. xiii., xvii.; Daniel, vii., 7, &c.
The war begins against him in his first state, Rev. xix., 19, 20; xiii., 3, 12,
&c.; Isaiah, lxiii., 1, 6; xxxiv.; Rev. xix., 11, &c.; vi., 14,
It began A. D. 66—Rev. xix., 15; Psalm ii., 9, 1, 2; Acts, iv.,
The same date by another line of argument-The day of vengeance, Is. lxi., 2—
Vitringa's account of it-St. James, v., 8, 9-1 Ep. Pet., iv., 17-The
dates of these Epistles-Luke, xxi., 20—The day of vengeance began A.D.
66-Its connexion with the persecution of the Church, Isaiah, xxxiv., 8—
The unconscious testimony of Tacitus to it,

CHAPTER IV. THE SECOND SEAL-PAGE 41 to 54.

338

The Greek article- The note of time--The place-The peace-Livy, Tacitus,

and Gibbon-Taken from the earth